A federal grand jury in Miami indicted six people and five firms for allegedly conspiring to export U.S. military aircraft parts to Iran, officials said Monday.
The Justice Department identified the six individuals as Baktash Fattahi, an Iranian national living in Lancaster, Calif.; Amir Hosein Atabaki, an Iranian national; Mohammad Javad Mohammad Esmaeil, an Iranian national; Abbas Haider, an Indian citizen residing in Dubai; Mohammed Javid Yahya Saboni, an Iranian national residing in Dubai; and Reza Zahedi Pour, an Iranian national.
The five businesses named were: Mahdi Electronic Trading Co. of Iran; Planet Commercial Brokerage of Dubai; Raht Aseman Co. of Iran; Sahab Phase of Iran; and Sea Speed UAE of Dubai.
They were indicted Thursday on charges of conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the U.S. Iran Embargo and the Arms Export Control Act.
They are accused of trying to ship 13 types of aircraft parts to Iran by way of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The parts were for the F-5 Tiger fighter jet, the Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter, the CH-53 military helicopter, the F-14 Tomcat fighter jet, and the UH-1 Huey military helicopter, prosecutors said.
If convicted, they could be sentenced from 10 to 20 years in prison and fined up to $1 million.
Source: / upi /