Iranian National Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to 30 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Export Satellite Technology from the United States to Iran

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; George Venizelos, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); James T. Hayes, Jr., the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Kenneth Siegler, the Resident Agent in Charge of the New York Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS); Sidney Simon, the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Commerce Department, Bureau of Industry and Security’s Office of Export Enforcement New York Field Office (OEE); and Robert E. Perez, Director of New York Field Operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), announced that Seyed Amin Ghorashi Sarvestani, an Iranian national, was sentenced yesterday in Manhattan federal court to 30 months in prison for conspiring to export goods, including satellite technology and hardware, from the United States to Iran, in violation the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Ghorashi was arrested on October 3, 2012, and pled guilty on May 8, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe, who also imposed yesterday’s sentence.

According to the complaint, the information to which Ghorashi pled guilty, and statements made during the plea proceeding:

Ghorashi, an Iranian national, was an owner of and served as a managing director and director of two related companies based in the United Arab Emirates. In that capacity, he worked with others to export electronic equipment used for satellite communications and data transfer, as well as other goods, from the United States to Iran, without the requisite approval from the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Ghorashi and others conspired to acquire satellite technology and hardware from a supplier based in the United States for shipment to Iran. To conceal the true destination of the goods from the U.S. supplier, Ghorashi and his co-conspirators arranged for the items to be shipped first to the United Arab Emirates and subsequently shipped to Iran.

Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the New York Offices of the FBI, ICE- HSI, DCIS, and OEE. Mr. Bharara also thanked CBP for their assistance.

In addition to the prison term, Ghorashi, 46, was ordered to pay a $100,000 fine and to forfeit $54,000. Judge Gardephe also ordered him to pay a $100 special assessment.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel P. Kovner is in charge of the prosecution.

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