New Hamphsire.- A New Hampshire resident has been indicted on a federal charge alleging he operated an unlicensed money transmitting business that moved more than $25 million between the United States and Yemen.
Ramzi Al-Shawafi, 47, of Chichester, is scheduled to appear in federal court on September 16, 2026, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.
According to the indictment, Al-Shawafi operated a “hawala” for several years and worked with individuals in Yemen to coordinate money transfers between the United States and Yemen. The indictment describes a hawala as an informal money transfer system that uses a network of agents to transfer money across international borders without using the banking system.
Al-Shawafi allegedly operated dozens of bank accounts across multiple financial institutions. The accounts were in the names of businesses he directly or indirectly controlled, including Razl Trading, RA Broker and several convenience stores.
According to the indictment, Al-Shawafi used the accounts to move more than $25 million to Yemen.
The charge of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes governing criminal cases.
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