December 28, 2011 09:28 PM (Last updated: December 28, 2011 09:36 PM)

The Daily Star

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2011/Dec-28/158187-lebanese-man-says-hes-innocent-of-us-money-laundering-allegations.ashx#axzz1hsIkRoQq

BEIRUT: The lawyer of a Lebanese family running a used car dealership in the U.S. state of Georgia says the family is a victim of a U.S civil complaint against Lebanese suspected of funneling money to Hezbollah.

“He’s [George Baaklini] a victim,” Chuck Sylvester, lawyer of the Baaklini family, told 11Alive news station.

NBC’s Channel 11, based in Georgia, reported Tuesday on Baaklini, the owner of the Baaklini North America Inc., which the U.S. has targeted in recent weeks to recover money U.S. authorities believe is part of a money-laundering scheme.

In early December, the U.S. filed a civil complaint against Lebanese financial institutions for wiring over $300 million into the U.S. in scheme

they said benefited Hezbollah.

In the lawsuit, the U.S. is seeking nearly half a billion dollars in money-laundering penalties from Lebanese banks and 30 U.S. car buyers.

It also said it was entitled to claim their assets under U.S. laws. The U.S. says Baaklini, one of the 30 used car dealerships, has made millions of dollars buying and shipping used cars which benefited Hezbollah.

Sylvester told Channel 11 that his client had no knowledge of the backgrounds of his customers, who were required to wire money up front.

“He [Sylvester] says he is confident Baaklini will be cleared and that money that was essentially frozen by federal agents will be returned,” the station quoted the lawyer as saying.

The lawsuit “U.S. vs. Lebanese Canadian Bank SAL.,” details wire transfers whose records indicate a connection to “the purchase, sale, shipment or otherwise related transaction regarding used cars in the United States.”

The lawsuit said $300 million was wired from Lebanon to the U.S. and used to purchase used cars and ship them to West Africa.

Hezbollah money-laundering channels were reportedly used to transfer proceeds from the car sales back to Lebanon.

The U.S. has listed the group as a terrorist organization since 1997.

The suit followed a report by the New York Times claiming the Lebanese Canadian Bank was the hub for money-laundering operations aimed at funding the resistance group.