Lebanese financier pleads guilty to sanctions evasion, US says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Lebanese-Belgian dual citizen accused by the United States of financing the armed group Hezbollah pleaded guilty on Friday in a criminal case charging him with sanctions evasion and money-laundering conspiracies, the Justice Department said.

Lawyers for Mohammad Bazzi told federal prosecutors in Brooklyn this month that he wanted to change his plea. Bazzi, 60, pleaded not guilty last year to three felony counts, including attempting to transact with a sanctioned terrorist organization.

(Reporting by Luc Cohen and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Mark Porter)