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: eBay, PayPal, and Dubai middlemen
According to prosecutors, Ghomi’s supply chain ran through consumer channels. 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.
