California tech CEO accused of smuggling US equipment to Iran's military, nuclear programs
Jamshid Ghomi, a California-based dual U.S.-Iranian citizen and CEO of Faraz Pardaz Rayaneh Co. Ltd., was arrested for allegedly smuggling over $10 million worth of U.S. computer networking and encryption equipment to Iran’s military and nuclear programs between 2011 and 2023. Authorities claim Ghomi used front companies, UAE intermediaries, and eBay/PayPal to evade sanctions, while laundering over $15 million into the U.S. through shell companies.
A dual U.S.-Iranian citizen and CEO of Tehran-based Faraz Pardaz Rayaneh Co. Ltd. (FPR), Jamshid Ghomi, 63, was arrested in California on federal charges of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Authorities allege Ghomi orchestrated a decade-long scheme to smuggle sophisticated U.S. computer networking and encryption equipment to Iran’s military and nuclear programs, bypassing required licenses from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Between 2011 and 2023, Ghomi allegedly used personal eBay and PayPal accounts, along with front companies and freight forwarders in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to route controlled U.S. technology to Iran. FPR’s annual sales exceeded $10 million, with customers including Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), which oversees nuclear programs, and the Ministry of Defense. From 2017 to 2023, FPR supplied networking equipment to AEOI, while from 2014 to 2022, it provided security and encryption hardware to Iran’s armed forces. Ghomi allegedly laundered over $15 million in Iranian revenue into the U.S. through shell companies in the British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong, Turkey, and the UAE, disguising transfers as foreign inheritances or consulting fees. Despite owning a $35 million Newport Coast mansion, he reported minimal income to the IRS, claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income families across seven tax years. The investigation, led by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, revealed over 250 metric tons of equipment smuggled between 2014 and 2018 alone. Ghomi personally negotiated direct purchases from U.S. suppliers in Minnesota and Nebraska, routing them through UAE front companies. Authorities have not yet determined the full extent of the national security breach or whether other U.S. suppliers were complicit.
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