NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

MATT J. WHITWORTH

Contact Don Ledford, Public Affairs ● (816) 426-4220 ● 400 East Ninth Street, Room 5510 ● Kansas City, MO 64106

www.usdoj.gov/usao/mow/index.html

OCTOBER 22, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KC BUSINESS OWNER PLEADS GUILTY TO NEARLY

$1 MILLION IN UNLICENSED MONEY TRANSFERS

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Matt J. Whitworth, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court to operating an unlicensed business that transmitted nearly $1 million to several Middle East countries.

Hassan Al-Hassani, 40, of Kansas City, Mo., waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Scott O. Wright on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009, to the charge contained in a federal information.

Al-Hassani, who owned Zeena Market in Kansas City, operated an unlicensed money transmitting business. Al-Hassani , who was paid a commission to wire the funds overseas, admitted that he transferred $972,470 to Jordan, Iraq and other locations without being registered with the state of Missouri as required by federal law. Al-Hassani distributed $75,500 of that amount after October 2007, when he became aware of the licensing requirement.

Under federal statutes, Al-Hassani is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William L. Meiners. It was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and IRS-Criminal Investigation.

****************

This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, is available on-line at