Three people have been charged with working to export United States goods to Iran against federal law, authorities said Tuesday.
The three have been charged in an indictment with conspiracy to export U.S. goods to Iran, violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act as well as Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations; conspiracy to smuggle goods from the U.S.; and conspiracy to engage in international money laundering, federal investigators said in a statement.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan charged the three. Listed in the indictment were:
– Arash Yousefi Jam, also known as Arash Yousefijam, 32, an Iranian national living in Ontario, Canada, and was arrested by U.S. authorities on Dec. 23
– Amin Yousefi Jam, also known as Amin Yousefijam, 33, an Iranian national living in Ontario, Canada
– Abdollah Momeni Roustani, also known as Abdollah Momeni, Ab Momeni and Amir Amiri, 44, an Iranian national believed to be living in Iran
According to the indictment, between January 2015 and February 2017, all three allegedly “conspired to fraudulently and knowingly export and send nine electrical discharge boards, one CPU board, two servo motors, and two railroad crankshafts from the United States to Iran in violation of economic sanctions,” authorities said Tuesday.
They also were accused of providing false and misleading information to companies about the goods obtained, and exporting items to Iran through the United Arab Emirates without obtaining the necessary licenses, violating U.S. law.
“Since 1979, in order to protect the freedom and security of the American people, the United States has made it illegal to export goods to Iran,” said Matthew Schneider, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. “The deeply disturbing allegations in this case are that the defendants conspired to export highly sophisticated American manufacturing equipment and other American-made items into the arms of the Iranians. We will follow every single lead in this case as we pursue justice against the defendants, and we will continue to help American businesses protect themselves from criminal schemes like this.”
Vance R. Callender, Special Agent in Charge of HSI in Michigan and Ohio, added: “Iran has been subject to international sanctions for more than 40 years and has continuously and furtively tried to obtain items that could be used against U.S. soldiers in conflict or Americans abroad.”
If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine on the export and smuggling violations. They face 20 years in federal prison and a $500,000 fine on the money laundering violation, officials said.
Source » detroitnews