Dual US-Iranian Citizen Arrested for Decade-Long Tech Smuggling Scheme

A dual US-Iranian citizen was arrested at his Newport Coast, California home on June 3 after federal prosecutors accused him of running a decade-long operation to smuggle American technology to Iran's nuclear and military apparatus. Jamshid Ghomi, founder and CEO of Tehran-based Faraz Pardaz Rayaneh Co. Ltd. (FPR), faces charges of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The Department of Justice alleges Ghomi moved over 250 metric tons of US-origin networking, security, and encryption equipment to Iran between 2014 and 2023. Among the alleged recipients: Iran's Atomic Energy Organization and its Ministry of Defense.

The operation, per prosecutors, ran through consumer channels—because nothing says "clandestine nuclear procurement" quite like an eBay cart. The equipment was allegedly purchased through eBay and PayPal, then routed through intermediaries in the United Arab Emirates before reaching Iran. FPR reportedly generated over $10 million in annual sales, supplying both Iranian government and private customers with banned American technology. The operation allegedly began as early as 2009, though the charged conduct spans from 2014 to 2023. Prosecutors say Ghomi managed over $15 million in illicit proceeds, allegedly laundered into US accounts disguised as foreign inheritance. The DOJ is now seeking forfeiture of Ghomi's $35 million mansion in Newport Beach.

The International Emergency Economic Powers Act gives the president broad authority to regulate commerce during national emergencies, including the power to block transactions and freeze assets tied to foreign threats. The 20-year maximum sentence for conspiracy charges under IEEPA reflects how seriously the US government treats unauthorized technology transfers to sanctioned nations.

The Ghomi case stands out for the sheer scale alleged. Moving 250 metric tons of equipment suggests a systematic, industrialized supply chain operating over years. The timeline of alleged activity, stretching from as early as 2009 through 2023, spans multiple US administrations and rounds of tightening sanctions enforcement—longer than most crypto compliance officers' tenures.

The use of consumer platforms like eBay and PayPal as alleged procurement channels suggests that sanctions enforcement is increasingly focused not just on large corporate transactions but on marketplace-level activity. Both platforms have compliance obligations under US law. The $35 million forfeiture claim sends a pointed message about asset recovery: federal prosecutors are not just pursuing criminal penalties—they're going after the material wealth allegedly built on sanctions violations.