The Department of Justice issued a forfeiture warrant and complaint for all petroleum products aboard four tankers that it alleged are illegally shipping Iranian oil to Venezuela. The ships -- the Bella, the Bering, the Pandi and the Luna -- allegedly are working with the U.S.-sanctioned Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to ship the oil and fund IRGC terrorist activities, DOJ said July 2. The four tankers are carrying more than 1 million barrels of gasoline combined, the agency said.
The Bureau of Industry and Security revoked Mahin Mojtahedzadeh’s export privileges after he was convicted of illegally exporting gas turbine parts to Iran, a July 1 order said. Mojtahedzadeh was convicted Jan. 30, 2020, of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and sentenced to time served and a $5,000 fine (see 2002030015). BIS revoked Mojtahedzadeh’s export privileges for 10 years from his date of conviction.
A federal appeals court upheld a conviction for a man who illegally exported electronics to Cuba. Bryan Singer had argued the court lacked evidence to convict him of knowingly shipping “303 Ubiquiti NanoStation M2 Network Modems” without a license, and said the U.S. failed to “prove he knew of the facts that made the NanoStations” subject to export controls. But the 11th Circuit denied Singer’s appeal. “The evidence admitted at trial established Singer's knowledge beyond a reasonable doubt,” a June 26 decision said.
Singapore authorities arrested six Chinese nationals for illegally importing liquor and avoiding about $65,000 (in Singapore dollars) in import taxes, Singapore Customs said in a June 29 notice. The six people allegedly imported the liquor using false descriptions, labeling the goods as beverages, spices, cosmetics, sanitizer and soap. Authorities said they seized about 900 bottles of illegally imported liquor. The six people face fines of up to 40 times the amount of taxes they evaded and a six-year prison sentence.
A Canadian woman was sentenced to 18 months in prison for illegally exporting gas turbine engine parts from the U.S. to Iran, the Justice Department said June 26. Angelica Preti, who worked as the export operations manager at a Canadian forwarding and customs brokerage services provider, helped to ship U.S.-origin engine parts and valve assemblies to Iran by concealing Iran as the end-user, the agency said. She also filed false electronic export information. During Preti’s time as export manager, the company was involved in 23 shipments exported from the U.S. traced to Iran destinations. DOJ said Preti violated the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and U.S. sanctions.
A North Korean national was convicted in Singapore of violating United Nations sanctions after he helped two Singapore companies supply luxury goods to North Korea, a June 23 notice said. Between 2014 and 2017, Li Hyon worked with T Specialist International and SCN Singapore to ship $400,000 (Singapore dollars) worth of goods to North Korea, it said. He worked as the “contact liaison” between the companies and the North Korea buyer and also hand-carried some goods, the notice said. He was sentenced to four weeks’ imprisonment. T Specialist International pleaded guilty to 10 related charges last year and was fined $380,000. Court proceedings for SCN Singapore are ongoing.
An Italian national was sentenced to prison after trying to procure a U.S. power turbine without an export license, the Justice Department said June 18. Gabriele Villone, who was sentenced to 28 months in prison for conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Export Control Reform Act, tried to procure the $17.3 million turbine for Russian companies, the agency said.
The CEO of an Iranian financial services company pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions, the Justice Department said June 16. Payment24 CEO Seyed Sajjad Shahidian used the company to help Iranian citizens avoid U.S. financial sanctions, which included purchases of U.S. computer software, software licenses and computer servers. Shahidian, a business partner and Payment24 were charged in May (see 2005190022).
A Chinese national was sentenced to three years in prison after trying to illegally export a radio designated as a defense article to China, the Justice Department said in a June 12 press release. Qingshan Li bought the export-controlled radio -- a U.S. military Harris Falcon III AN/PRC 152A -- in the U.S. and picked it up from a San Diego storage unit last year. Li intended to take the radio to Tijuana, Mexico, in order to ship it to China from there because of Mexico’s lack of export control rules. Li was eventually stopped by U.S. authorities, who found the radio and other military equipment in his bag, the Justice Department said. Li said he knew the radio was export controlled, the agency said.
A Louisiana chemical manufacturer agreed to forfeit nearly $2 million for illegally exporting controlled chemicals, the Department of Justice said in a June 10 news release. Natural Advantage, controlled by Carol Callahan Byrne and Brian Byrne, distributed and exported more than 1,500 kilograms of controlled chemicals within the U.S. and worldwide without the required Drug Enforcement Administration registrations and despite DEA warnings, DOJ said. Company executives knew about the unlicensed sales and arranged to use other U.S. companies to sell the controlled List 1 chemicals -- including piperonal, heliotropine and phenylacetic acid -- to foreign customers.