Lebanese businessman sentenced in US over Hezbollah support

WASHINGTON – A Lebanese businessman accused of providing millions of dollars to the Hezbollah militant group has been sentenced to five years in prison for his role in a money laundering conspiracy aimed at evading U.S. sanctions.

Kassim Tajideen was sentenced Thursday in federal court in Washington.

Tajideen was arrested in Morocco and extradited to the United States in March 2017.

He was accused of conspiring with at least five other people to conduct over $50 million in transactions with U.S. businesses, in violation of sanctions that barred him from doing business with U.S. people and companies because of his support for Hezbollah.

He pleaded guilty last December and agreed to forfeit $50 million.