Info:
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald announced the sentencing of Seyed Sajjad Shahidian, 33, to 23 months in prison for his role in conducting financial transactions in violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran. Shahidian, who pleaded guilty on June 18, 2018, was sentenced today before Judge Patrick J. Schiltz in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Shahidian, a citizen of Iran, was arrested in London, England on Nov. 11, 2018, and, on May 15, 2020, was extradited to the United States;
“Shahidian lied to U.S. suppliers, illegally transferred funds from Iran, used fraudulent passports and ids, and established a business whose entire purpose was to circumvent U.S. sanctions and to enable others to do the same,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “Today’s sentence should discourage other would-be sanctions violators from following in Mr. Shahidian’s footsteps.”
“Mr. Shahidian was the founder and CEO of a financial services firm that employed fraudulent tactics designed to circumvent United States sanctions lawfully imposed on the Government of Iran. Such actions are criminal and threaten our national security interests,” said U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald. “In Iran, based on his illegal business, Mr. Shahidian had been a high-profile executive and a millionaire. He is now a convicted felon who has lost everything. This prosecution holds Mr. Shahidian accountable for his crimes and sends a broader message to others considering violating sanctions laws that there are serious consequences for doing so.”
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, Shahidian, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of PAYMENT24, co-conspirator Vahid Vali, and other individuals violated the restrictions on trade and exports from the United States to Iran. On its website, PAYMENT24 sold a package to assist its Iranian clients with making online purchases from United States-based businesses, which included a PayPal account, a fraudulent “ID card and address receipt,” a remote IP address from the United Arab Emirates, and a Visa gift card. The PAYMENT24 website also offered its clients advice on how to create accounts with a foreign identity and how to avoid restrictions on foreign websites, including advising clients to “never attempt to log into those sites with an Iranian IP address.” ;
Seyed Sajjad Shahidian, Vahid Vali and the company, Payment24, were criminally charged with conspiracy to commit offenses against the U.S., money laundering, identity theft and wire fraud, according to an indictment unsealed in federal court in Minnesota;
Prosecutors alleged that Payment24, which had about 40 employees with offices in Iran, primarily helped Iranian citizens circumvent U.S. sanctions to conduct transactions with U.S.-based businesses from about 2009 to November 2018, such as purchasing computer software, software licenses and computer servers. The U.S. has broad sanctions on Iran, prohibiting exports of U.S. goods, technology or services to Iran;
Involved In:
Tech Industry
Also Known As:
Seyed Sajad Shahidian
Country:
United States
POB:
Iran
Nationality:
Iranian
Reason for the color:
» Founder and CEO of Iranian Financial Services Firm Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Violate U.S. Sanctions – October 15, 2020;