CEO of Iran tech firm arrested over alleged sanctions breach supplying US equipment to nuclear military entity

Jamshid Ghomi, 63, a dual US-Iranian national and CEO of Faraz Pardaz Rayaneh Co. Ltd. (FPR), was arrested in Newport Coast, California, on federal charges alleging a decade-long scheme to illegally supply U.S.-origin networking and encryption equipment to Iran’s nuclear and military establishments. The charges stem from violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), with prosecutors claiming Ghomi acquired and exported restricted American technology without authorization from the Office of Foreign Assets Control. Between 2011 and 2015, Ghomi allegedly used eBay and PayPal accounts to purchase over 400 units of restricted equipment, later arranging direct acquisitions from suppliers in Minnesota and Nebraska through front companies. From 2014 to 2018, investigators allege he coordinated the smuggling of over 250 metric tons of equipment into Iran via freight forwarders in Dubai, concealing end-user details and disguising shipping documentation. Court filings indicate FPR supplied equipment to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, which oversees Iran’s nuclear program, as well as the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics. Prosecutors further allege the company provided encryption and security systems to defense-linked entities despite explicit sanctions restrictions. Authorities claim Ghomi concealed the scheme through layered financial transfers, false invoicing, and front companies, moving more than $15 million into the U.S. between 2011 and 2024. The Department of Justice described the case as part of broader enforcement efforts targeting illegal technology transfers to adversarial states, with Ghomi facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.