A federal jury in Boston has convicted Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, a 43-year-old dual U.S.-Iranian national, for his role in a scheme to illegally export sophisticated U.S. electronic components to Iran. Sadeghi was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR), alongside two individual counts of violating those same regulations.

Background

Sadeghi worked for a Massachusetts-based microelectronics manufacturer and was a co-founder of a separate Massachusetts technology company specializing in wearable fitness sensors. In 2016, Sadeghi traveled to Iran to secure funding for his fitness technology company from the Iranian National Elites Foundation, a government organization.

In exchange for the funding, Sadeghi and others established a second company in Iran, which then contracted with San’at Danesh Rahpooyan Aflak Co. (SDRA) to purchase its technology. SDRA is an Iranian firm that manufactures navigation modules for the military drone program of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which the U.S. designated as a foreign terrorist organization in 2019.

To bypass U.S. export restrictions, Sadeghi and his co-conspirator, Mohammad Abedini, established a Swiss front company called Illumove SA. With Sadeghi’s assistance, Illumove contracted with Sadeghi’s microelectronics employer to evaluate U.S. components, including advanced semiconductors. Sadeghi then caused U.S.-origin items, including accelerometers, gyroscopes, and inertial measurement units, to be shipped to Iran via Switzerland for SDRA’s benefit.

Consequences

The guilty verdict demonstrates the National Security Division’s commitment to holding accountable those who violate U.S. sanctions against Iran. Each count of violating or conspiring to violate the IEEPA and ITSR carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.