Iranian national faces trial in U.S. for illegal military exports

Trail

Washington, March 17, 2020 (Sputnik/NAN) The U.S. extradited an Iranian national to the state of Texas to face trial for a scheme to obtain militarily sensitive items for Iran in violation of American sanctions.

The Justice Department made the announced in a statement on Tuesday.

“These parts had dual-use military and civilian capability and could be used in such systems as: nuclear weapons, missile guidance and development.

“Also it could be used to secure tactical radio communications, offensive electronic warfare, military electronic countermeasures (radio jamming), and radar warning and surveillance systems,’’ the release said.

Merdad Ansari, and his co-defendant Mehrdad Foomanie of Iran, are charged in a federal grand jury indictment returned in June 2012 with conspiracy to violate the Iranian Transactions Regulations (ITR).

They are also charged with conspiracy to launder money and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Foomanie remains a fugitive in this case, the release added.

From October 2007 to June 2011, the defendants obtained or attempted to obtain from companies worldwide over 105,000 parts valued at approximately $2,630,800 involving more than 1,250 transactions.

The defendants conducted 599 transactions with 63 different U.S. companies where they obtained or attempted to obtain parts from U.S. companies without notifying the U.S. companies these parts were being shipped to Iran or getting, according to the release.

Ansari was extradited from Georgia to Texas over the weekend, the release said. (Sputnik/NAN)

HLM/YEE

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Edited by Hadiza  Mohammed/Emmanuel Yashim