http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2008/September/08-nsd-828.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
WWW.USDOJ.GOV
NSD
(202) 514-2007
TDD (202) 514-1888
Sixteen Foreign Nationals and Corporations Indicted on Charges of Illegally
Exporting Potential Military and Explosives Components to Iran
MIAMI -- A federal grand jury in Miami, FL, has returned a Superseding
Indictment charging eight individuals and eight corporations in connection with
their participation in conspiracies to export U.S.-manufactured commodities to
prohibited entities and to Iran. The defendants are named in a thirteen (13)
count Indictment – returned on Sept. 11, 2008 and unsealed today -- that
includes charges of conspiracy, violations of the International Emergency
Economic Powers Act and the United States Iran Embargo, and making false
statements to federal agencies in connection with the export of thousands of
U.S. goods to Iran.
The charges were announced today by R. Alexander Acosta, U.S. Attorney for the
Southern District of Florida; Patrick Rowan, Acting Assistant Attorney General
for National Security, U.S. Department of Justice; Mario Mancuso, Under
Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security, U.S. Department of Commerce;
Adam Szubin, Director, Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets
Control (OFAC); Sharon Woods, Director, Defense Criminal Investigative Service
(DCIS); and Julie L. Myers, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The Superseding Indictment alleges that the defendants purchased, and then
illegally exported to ultimate buyers in Iran, numerous "dual use" commodities.
"Dual-use" commodities are goods and technologies that have commercial
application, but could also be used to further the military or nuclear
potential of other nations and could be detrimental to the foreign policy or
national security of the United States. In this regard, the Superseding
Indictment alleges that the defendants caused the export of 120
field-programmable gate arrays, more than 5000 integrated circuits of varying
types, approximately 345 Global Positioning Systems ("GPS"), 12,000 Microchip
brand micro-controllers, and a Field Communicator. All of these items have
potential military applications, including as components in the construction of
improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The charges announced today are the result of an extensive inter-agency
investigation into the use of U.S.-made goods in the construction of IEDs and
other explosive devices used against Coalition Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Charged in the Superseding Indictment are: Ali Akbar Yahya, an Iranian national
and naturalized British citizen; F.N. Yaghmaei, a/k/a " Farrokh Nia Yaghmaei,"
an Iranian national; Mayrow General Trading, Atlinx Electronics, Micatic
General Trading, Madjico Micro Electronics, a/k/a "MME," and Al-Faris, all
Dubai-based businesses; Neda Industrial Group, an Iran-based business; Bahman
Ghandi, a/k/a "Brian Ghandi," an Iranian national; Farshid Gillardian, a/k/a
"Isaac Gillardian," a/k/a "Isaac Gill," an Iranian national and a naturalized
British citizen; Kaam Chee Mun, a/k/a "Brian Kaam," a resident of Malaysia;
Djamshid Nezhad, a/k/a "Reza," a resident of Germany; Ahmad Rahzad, a/k/a "Saeb
Karim," an Iranian national; Majid Seif, a/k/a "Mark Ong,"a/k/a "Matti Chong,"
an Iranian national residing in Malaysia; and Eco Biochem Sdn BHD and Vast
Solution Sdn BHD, Malaysian businesses.
The defendants are charged with purchasing and causing the export of U.S. goods
to Iran through middle countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia,
England, Germany, and Singapore. More specifically, the charges in the
Indictment are as follows:
Count 1 of the Superseding Indictment charges defendants Yahya, Yaghmaei,
Mayrow General Trading, Atlinx Electronics, Micatic General Trading, Majidco
Micro Electronics, Al-Faris, and Neda Industrial Group with conspiracy to
export goods to Iran and to defraud the United States, in violation of the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Title 50, United States Code,
Sections 1702 and 1705(a), the United States Iran Embargo, and the Export
Administration Regulations, and Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
Counts 2 through 5 charge defendants Yahya, Yaghmaei, Micatic, and Mayrow with
exporting U.S. goods from the United States to Iran, in violation of the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the United States Iran Embargo.
Counts 6 through 8 charge defendants Yahya, Yaghmaei, Majidco, Micatic, and
Mayrow with making false statements in federally mandated shipping documents
regarding the ultimate destination and use of the goods, in violation of Title
18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2).
Count 9 charges defendants Yahya, Mayrow, Al-Faris, Ghandi, Gillardian, Mun,
Nezhad, Rahzad, Seif, Eco Biochem, and Vast Solution with conspiracy to export
goods to Iran, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act,
Title 50 United States Code, Sections 1702 and 1705(a), the United States Iran
Embargo, and the Export Administration Regulations, and to defraud the United
States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
Counts 10 and 11 charge defendants Al-Faris, Seif, and Vast Solution with
exporting U.S. goods from the United States to Iran, in violation of the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the United States Iran Embargo.
Counts 12 and 13 charge defendant Seif with making false statements by
misrepresenting the ultimate destination and use of the goods on Federal Form
BS-711 Statement By Ultimate Consignee and Purchaser, in violation of Title 18,
United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2).
U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta stated, "The dual use items that the defendants
illegally exported to Iran have military applications, including the making of
improvised explosive devices. I urge any domestic supplier who may have
unwittingly helped the defendants, or others like them, to come forth and
report the matter to federal law enforcement. We cannot profit at the expense
of our soldiers’ safety abroad. The United States Attorney’s Office will
continue to investigate this matter as additional information is uncovered."
"Today's indictment details the global reach of Iranian procurement networks
and underscores, in dramatic terms, the importance of keeping sensitive U.S.
technology out of their grasp," said Patrick Rowan, Acting Assistant Attorney
General for National Security at the U.S. Department of Justice.
"This extensive, effective government effort has broken up a lethal
international ring seeking to harm American and allied forces as well as
innocent civilians by acquiring sensitive U.S. technology capable of producing
improvised explosive devices (IED) similar to those being used in Iraq and
Afghanistan," said Mario Mancuso, Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and
Security. "The Commerce Department remains firmly committed to protect our
forces by prosecuting those who try to do them harm, and today’s action
illustrates the broad scope of that endeavor."
Adam Szubin, Director of the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign
Assets Control, added, "The U.S. Government is wielding a powerful array of
authorities against Iran's proliferation supply chain. In concert with today's
unsealed indictment against Iran's suppliers and middlemen, Treasury is levying
sanctions against Iranian military end-users that procured goods from those
named in today's indictment. Together, the actions of the Justice, Commerce,
and Treasury Departments will expose Iran's proxies to the world and undermine
its procurement activities."
Sharon Woods, Director of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service of the
Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, stated, "The illegal
diversion of U.S. military technologies through deception, by domestic and
foreign companies, poses a significant danger to America's soldiers on the
battlefield. These illegally exported goods provided our enemies with necessary
components to manufacture improvised explosive devices, designed to kill and
maim U.S. troops and allies. The Pentagon's Defense Criminal Investigative
Service and its investigative partners will continue to pursue and expose these
hidden enemies to help protect our soldiers as we fight against global
terrorism."
"The national security implications of this case cannot be underestimated,"
said Julie L. Myers, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for ICE. "The export
of dual use technology is controlled for good reason. In the wrong hands, these
items could be used to harm our soldiers, our homeland, and our allies.
Enforcing U.S. export laws is one of our top priorities, and we will continue
to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who put our
country at risk are brought to justice."
If convicted on the conspiracy charges, the defendants each face a statutory
maximum sentence of up to five (5) years’ imprisonment. If convicted of
violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iran Embargo,
the defendants face a statutory maximum sentence of up to twenty (20) years’
imprisonment. If convicted of making false statements, the defendants face a
statutory maximum sentence of up to five (5) years’ imprisonment. In addition,
the defendants face possible fines of up to $1 million.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Department of
Commerce, which led this investigation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of
Department of the Treasury, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Investigations, for their
work on this case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney
Melissa Damian.
Anyone with information regarding the activities of these defendants or others
like them should contact the Commerce Department by calling 1-800-424-2980, or
by email at www.bis.doc.gov.
Mark R. Taylor
Take no prisoners!
http://americantruckersatwar.com
AmericanTruckersAtWar Discussion Group
http://youtube.com/ironponyexpress
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