Two Louisiana brothers facing federal terrorism-financing charges are also among five relatives accused of improperly obtaining more than $224,000 in Medicaid benefits after investigators examined their household finances.
Abdel Adhami, 35, and Omar Adhami, 33, of Covington were charged in the Louisiana case alongside their wives, Iman H. D. Srour, 29, and Amani Abu Zenah, 28. Their brother, Mohammad I. Adhami, 32, also faces state charges.
The Louisiana Attorney General’s Office alleges that the defendants and their households underreported income between 2021 and 2025 to obtain Medicaid coverage for which they were ineligible. All five were arrested Sept. 15, 2026, following an investigation involving state and federal authorities.
Evidence gathered during a separate federal terrorism-financing investigation prompted Louisiana investigators to examine the family’s Medicaid eligibility. Federal prosecutors accuse Abdel and Omar Adhami of contributing approximately $105,000 combined to a fundraising network allegedly supporting Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Investigators Say the Households Concealed Income to Obtain Medicaid Benefits
According to the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, information uncovered during the FBI-led federal investigation led the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation to work with the Louisiana Department of Health on possible Medicaid beneficiary fraud.
Investigators allege that members of three households concealed or understated income to obtain medical coverage between 2021 and 2025. The state estimates that the improperly received benefits resulted in more than $224,000 in combined losses to Louisiana’s Medicaid program.
Medicaid eligibility depends on several factors, including income and household composition. Recipients must accurately report information relevant to their eligibility, including changes in household earnings or membership that may affect continued coverage.
The defendants face charges under Louisiana Revised Statute §14:70.9, which addresses government benefits fraud. The law covers knowingly making false statements on benefit applications or concealing material facts affecting eligibility with intent to defraud. A conviction can carry up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.
How the Alleged $224K in Medicaid Losses Breaks Down
The largest alleged loss involves Abdel Adhami and his wife, Iman H. D. Srour. Investigators attributed approximately $113,344 in improperly obtained Medicaid benefits to their household. Each was arrested on five felony counts of government benefits fraud and one felony count of theft involving more than $25,000.
Omar Adhami and his wife, Amani Abu Zenah, are accused of improperly receiving approximately $81,099 in benefits. Each faces three felony counts of government benefits fraud and one felony theft count involving more than $25,000.
Investigators attributed a further $30,197 to Mohammad I. Adhami, the brothers’ 32-year-old sibling. He faces three felony government benefits fraud counts and one felony theft count.
The three figures represent separate household or individual loss estimates, rather than amounts attributed independently to both members of each married couple. All five also face theft allegations under Louisiana Revised Statute §14:67(B)(1), which applies to qualifying thefts involving property valued at $25,000 or more.
That theft provision carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years at hard labor, a fine of up to $50,000, or both. Those penalties are statutory maximums, not predictions of sentences in this case.
The five defendants were booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail on Sept. 15. The investigation involved the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, FBI, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, Hammond Police Department, Mandeville Police Department and Louisiana State Police. St. Tammany Parish District Attorney Collin Sims is handling the state prosecution.
A Separate Federal Case Accuses the Brothers of Supporting a Hamas Financing Network
The Medicaid investigation emerged from a broader federal inquiry into an international fundraising operation allegedly directed by Saleem Alzaq, whom prosecutors identify as a member of Hamas’s armed wing in Gaza.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Alzaq operated social media fundraising campaigns presented as humanitarian assistance for people in Gaza while allegedly directing the proceeds toward Hamas. Federal authorities say the network collected more than $1.7 million through purported charitable campaigns beginning in 2020.
Federal prosecutors allege that Abdel Adhami contributed approximately $94,000 to the network between February 2021 and September 2026. His brother Omar allegedly contributed another $11,000 during that period.
Investigators contend that the brothers knew their contributions were supporting a designated foreign terrorist organization and attempted to conceal transactions through intermediaries and wire transfers.
In the federal criminal complaint filed Sept. 11, FBI Special Agent Scott Foster described financial records and communications investigators associated with Abdel Adhami. The affidavit alleges that PayPal records showed approximately $34,672 in transfers during one period beginning in November 2023 and another $46,600 during a period extending into February 2026.
The complaint also describes conversations with an undercover New York Police Department employee posing as someone interested in sending money. According to the FBI, Abdel discussed several ways to receive a payment, including Zelle, wire transfers and PayPal. He also described processing a credit card payment through his store as though it were an ordinary purchase, then forwarding the money. Investigators presented those communications as part of the evidence underlying the federal allegations.
The brothers each face federal charges of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to provide material support, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Federal prosecutors announced the coordinated enforcement operation on Oct. 2.
The federal fundraising prosecution and the Louisiana Medicaid case concern different alleged financial conduct. The state case involves Medicaid eligibility and alleged household-income misrepresentations, while the federal case involves alleged financial transfers to the fundraising network.
Iman H. D. Srour, Amani Abu Zenah and Mohammad I. Adhami are named in the state Medicaid case, but not among the defendants charged in the federal financing announcement.
All five defendants in the Louisiana case, along with the brothers in their separate federal proceedings, are presumed innocent of the pending allegations unless proven guilty in court.
Louisiana Medicaid Requires Recipients to Report Changes Affecting Eligibility
Louisiana Medicaid beneficiaries must keep their eligibility information accurate as their financial and household circumstances change. Relevant changes can include income sources, earnings and household composition, depending on the type of coverage and applicable eligibility rules.
Recipients can report changes through the MyMedicaid self-service portal or contact Louisiana Medicaid at 1-888-342-6207. Keeping copies of applications, renewal forms, pay records and confirmations of submitted changes can help resolve questions about a household’s eligibility.
A change in income does not, by itself, establish criminal fraud. Louisiana’s government benefits fraud statute requires proof of the applicable fraudulent intent and prohibited conduct, including qualifying false statements or concealment of material information.
Suspected government benefits fraud can also be reported through the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office. Reports should identify the suspected conduct and include relevant documentation when available.