Reza Dindar, 44, an Iranian citizen, was extradited to the United States from Panama last week to face federal charges related to an alleged scheme to evade U.S. sanctions on Iran, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Dindar, also known as Renda Dindar, is set to make his initial appearance Monday in U.S. District Court in Seattle. He was indicted by a grand jury on nine counts in August 2014 and taken into custody in Panama in July at the request of U.S. authorities.
Prosecutors allege that Dindar operated a China-based business for five years that procured goods from the United States and routed them to Iran while falsely claiming the items were destined for China.
“The members of this conspiracy thought they could evade export restrictions by shipping goods through a third country—in this case, China,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “But law enforcement uncovered the scheme, and the grand jury returned the indictment leading to the appearance today.”
According to the indictment, the operation involved the illegal export of controlled items, including three military sonar systems purchased from a company in Washington state.
U.S. law broadly prohibits the unlicensed export or re-export of American goods, technology or services to Iran, including indirect transfers through third countries when the end destination is known or should be known.
“This successful extradition marks a significant step towards accountability for members of this conspiracy whose actions posed a threat to our national security,” stated Eddy Wang, special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations, Los Angeles.
Dindar is charged with conspiracy, two counts of exporting to an embargoed country, two counts of smuggling goods from the United States, two counts of money laundering and two counts of filing false export information.
If convicted, Dindar faces up to 20 years in prison.
