An Iranian citizen pleaded guilty to illegally exporting carbon fiber from the U.S. to Iran, the Justice Department said in an Aug. 29 press release. Behzad Pourghannad faces a maximum 20-year prison sentence for violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
A naturalized U.S. citizen was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to several export violations, including illegally transferring missile systems and unlicensed arms brokering, the Justice Department said in an Aug. 20 press release. Rami Najm Asad-Ghanem, who was living in Egypt at the time of the offenses, transferred “a wide array of surface-to-air missile systems” around the world, the Justice Department said, including to clients in Libya, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Hezbollah.
An Iranian resident was arrested after he tried to illegally ship “computer numerical control machines” from the U.S. to Iran, the Justice Department said in an Aug. 20 press release. Mehdi Hashemi is charged with violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by trying to ship the machines, which are “used to process raw materials, such as metals, to precise standards,” the press release said. The machines are controlled for “nuclear non-proliferation and anti-terrorism reasons.” Hashemi pleaded not guilty.
Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security revoked export privileges for four people after they exported guns, ammunition and other defense-related items from the U.S. to Lebanon, BIS said Aug. 13. The four people -- Ali Afif Al Herz, Sarah Majid Zeaiter, Adam Al Herz and Bassem Afif Herz -- were convicted in 2016 of violating the Arms Export Control Act by exporting items on the U.S. Munitions List without State Department licenses. Each was sentenced to prison and placed on the State Department’s Debarred List.
An Iranian citizen pleaded guilty Aug. 9 to conspiring to illegally export technology from the U.S. to Iran, the Justice Department said in a press release. Negar Ghodskani was arrested for the violations in 2017.
A Lebanese businessman was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to forfeit $50 million for violating U.S. sanctions and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the Justice Department said in an Aug. 8 press release. Kassim Tajideen pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to “launder monetary instruments” after the Justice Department said his network of Lebanese and African businesses helped finance Hezbollah.
The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control found a U.S. company in violation of OFAC’s Reporting, Procedures and Penalties Regulations for failing to provide information about a sale to Iran after being subpoenaed, OFAC said in an Aug. 8 enforcement notice. The violations stem from Southern Cross Aviation’s sale of helicopters to an Iranian businessman in Ecuador, OFAC said.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said a Virginia-based company violated OFAC’s Reporting, Procedures and Penalties Regulations after providing the agency false or misleading statements during an OFAC investigation, according to an Aug. 8 enforcement notice. The violation stems from DNI Express Shipping Company’s sale of farm equipment to Sudan, which OFAC said violated the Sudanese Sanctions Regulations.
The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security denied a man export privileges after he was convicted in August 2018 of helping to illegally export about 1,000 rounds of ammunition from the U.S. to Mexico in violation of the Arms Export Control Act, Commerce said Aug. 5. Juan Jesus De La Rosa was sentenced to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release for aiding and abetting the export and trying to export the ammunition, which were designated as defense items on the U.S. Munitions List and required a State Department license. De La Rosa is banned from exporting from the U.S. until Aug. 28, 2028.
The Commerce Department Bureau of Industry and Security denied a woman export privileges after she was convicted of illegally exporting space communication technology from the U.S. to Hong Kong in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Commerce said Aug. 5. Si Chen was convicted in October 2018 and sentenced to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release. She is banned from exporting items from the U.S. until Oct. 10, 2028, Commerce said.