Iranian National Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Illegally Export Prohibited Parts to Iran
On
August 15, 2011, U.S. Department of Justice
(DOJ) announced that Davoud
Baniameri, 38, an Iranian national who
maintained a residence and business in
California was sentenced to 51 months in federal
prison after he pleaded guilty in May to one
count of conspiracy to export goods and
technology to Iran without a license from the
U.S. Department of Treasury in violation of the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act
(IEEPA) and one count of attempting to export
defense articles on the U.S. Munitions List from
the United States without a license or approval
from the U.S. Department of State in violation
of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA).
Baniameri was arrested on a criminal complaint on Sept. 9, 2009, and indicted in December 2009. A superseding indictment in July 2010 charged Baniameri and his two co-defendants Syed Majid Mousavi (Mousavi) and Andro Telemi (Telemi).
According to the plea agreement, sometime before October 10, 2008, Mousavi, based in Iran, contacted Baniameri in California and requested that he purchase and export radio test sets from the United States to Iran, through Dubai. Baniameri agreed and over the next few months negotiated the purchase of three Marconi radio test sets from a company in Illinois. Baniameri arranged for the radio test kits to be sent to him in California, where he shipped them to Dubai, for ultimate transshipment to Iran, without the required export license.
The plea agreement also states that, sometime before August 10, 2009, Mousavi contacted Baniameri and requested that he purchase and export to Iran via Dubai 10 connector adapters for the TOW and TOW2 missile systems. Baniameri agreed to purchase the items on behalf of Mousavi, and over the next few months, he admitted that he and his co-defendants attempted to purchase 10 connector adaptors from a company in Illinois, which unbeknownst to them, was in fact a company controlled by law enforcement. In September 2009, Baniameri admitted that he directed Telemi to take possession of the connector adaptors in California after having paid $9,450 to a representative of the Illinois company. To further facilitate the export of these items to Iran, Baniameri arranged to fly from the United States to Dubai and then from Dubai to Iran. Baniameri did not attempt to obtain a license from the U.S. government for the export of the connector adaptors. He was arrested before leaving the United States.
Baniameri was arrested on a criminal complaint on Sept. 9, 2009, and indicted in December 2009. A superseding indictment in July 2010 charged Baniameri and his two co-defendants Syed Majid Mousavi (Mousavi) and Andro Telemi (Telemi).
According to the plea agreement, sometime before October 10, 2008, Mousavi, based in Iran, contacted Baniameri in California and requested that he purchase and export radio test sets from the United States to Iran, through Dubai. Baniameri agreed and over the next few months negotiated the purchase of three Marconi radio test sets from a company in Illinois. Baniameri arranged for the radio test kits to be sent to him in California, where he shipped them to Dubai, for ultimate transshipment to Iran, without the required export license.
The plea agreement also states that, sometime before August 10, 2009, Mousavi contacted Baniameri and requested that he purchase and export to Iran via Dubai 10 connector adapters for the TOW and TOW2 missile systems. Baniameri agreed to purchase the items on behalf of Mousavi, and over the next few months, he admitted that he and his co-defendants attempted to purchase 10 connector adaptors from a company in Illinois, which unbeknownst to them, was in fact a company controlled by law enforcement. In September 2009, Baniameri admitted that he directed Telemi to take possession of the connector adaptors in California after having paid $9,450 to a representative of the Illinois company. To further facilitate the export of these items to Iran, Baniameri arranged to fly from the United States to Dubai and then from Dubai to Iran. Baniameri did not attempt to obtain a license from the U.S. government for the export of the connector adaptors. He was arrested before leaving the United States.