Iran export sanctions: US charges tech CEO for allegedly exporting restricted equipment to Iran

A dual U.S.-Iranian citizen and CEO of a Tehran technology company has been arrested in the U.S. on charges stemming from a decade-long scheme to illegally export U.S.-origin networking and encryption hardware to Iran’s nuclear and military sectors in violation of sanctions.The defendant, Jamshid Ghomi, 63, a resident of Newport Coast, California, was detained after federal criminal charges accused him of conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), ANI reported. The complaint alleges that he procured and exported restricted U.S. technology to Iran without obtaining the necessary authorization from the Office of Foreign Assets Control.Federal prosecutors identified Ghomi as the founder and CEO of Faraz Pardaz Rayaneh Co. Ltd. (FPR), through which he allegedly procured sensitive U.S. network hardware. The equipment was allegedly rerouted through third-party intermediaries in the United Arab Emirates before being transferred to Iranian recipients, including state and military-affiliated entities.The Justice Department said investigators believe the operation was a deliberate attempt to circumvent export controls and divert advanced U.S. technology to sanctioned Iranian institutions.Authorities said that between 2011 and 2015, Ghomi made more than 400 acquisitions of regulated technology using eBay and PayPal accounts and then purchased directly from commercial vendors in Minnesota and Nebraska through a network of shell companies. Investigators further allege that from 2014 to 2018, he coordinated the transfer of more than 250 metric tons of hardware to Iran through a freight forwarding service operating in Dubai, during which time he falsified shipping records and systematically concealed end-user identities.FPR provides technology to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, the agency responsible for overseeing the country’s nuclear program, as well as the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, court documents show. The company is also accused of violating explicit sanctions prohibitions by supplying encryption and security systems to defense-related businesses.Prosecutors said Gomi moved more than $15 million into the United States between 2011 and 2024 by concealing his financial tracks through complex currency transactions, fraudulent invoices and shell companies. Authorities further allege he intentionally underreported his income to tax officials while using proceeds from his illegal trade to finance a multimillion-dollar luxury property in Newport Coast.The Justice Department said the prosecution is part of a broader federal law enforcement effort to prevent the unauthorized transfer of technology to hostile nations. If convicted, Gomi faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Judicial officials noted that criminal prosecutions constitute only accusations and that defendants retain the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law.