Southern California CEO Arrested for Violating U.S. Sanctions
A man from Southern California, who is also the head of an Iranian technology corporation, was taken into custody on Wednesday. This action stemmed from accusations of violating U.S. sanctions against Iran, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Jamshid Ghomi, aged 63 and a dual citizen of the U.S. and Iran, serves as the CEO of Faraz Pardaz Rayaneh Co. Ltd. (FPR). The DOJ highlighted this fact in its official statement.
“Ghomi is charged with assisting our declared enemies by supplying U.S. computer networking parts to Iran, making millions while violating U.S. sanction legislation,” stated Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for California’s Central District.
“Our laws against trading with such a major state sponsor of terrorism must be upheld,” he added.
The DOJ explained that under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR), it’s illegal for anyone in the U.S., or for U.S. citizens, to provide goods or services to Iran without prior permission from the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
According to charges, Ghomi is alleged to have operated FPR to supply “U.S.-origin networking equipment to customers in Iran” for over ten years without an OSFAC license. He faces charges of “conspiracy to violate” the IEEPA.
The DOJ claims Ghomi utilized intermediaries to obscure the intended recipients of equipment directed toward Iran. Notably, from 2014 to 2018, he purportedly orchestrated the smuggling of more than 275 tons of networking gear into the country.
The department remarked, “Ghomi was aware this behavior was illegal and intentionally took steps to hide it.”
This purportedly included instructing co-conspirators in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to omit his name from shipping documents and invoices, as well as concealing U.S. equipment within larger shipments on at least two occasions.
The DOJ also alleged that Ghomi’s clientele included the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and the Iranian Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics.
“A relatively small but significant portion of that business catered to the most sensitive end-users in Iran: the country’s nuclear and military sectors,” according to the DOJ.
Ghomi’s supposed illicit activities brought him substantial profits, which he did not report to the IRS. Despite moving over $15 million from Iran to U.S. bank accounts between 2011 and 2024, his highest reported income for a year was only $20,684.
Interestingly, he claimed a tax deduction intended for individuals with low to moderate incomes for seven years, even while reporting nearly $3 million in mortgage interest and property taxes on federal tax returns during that time.
“We will hold him accountable by pursuing an appropriate prison sentence and by seizing his assets, including his $35 million mansion in Newport Beach,” stated Essayli.
If found guilty, Ghomi could face a maximum of 20 years in prison.
