An Iranian-American man is accused of linking American technology to Iran’s nukes
Dan Hoffman on tech CEO accused of sending classified material to Iran
Former CIA station chief Dan Hoffman is investigating an alleged decade-long scheme in which chief technology officer Jamshid Ghomi sold US computer communications components to Iran. Hoffman emphasizes the success of the FBI’s counter-intelligence in exposing the technology program. He discusses the potential damage to US national security and Iran’s ability to supplement its nuclear program with US technology.
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Two US-Iranian citizens accused of helping Iran’s military and nuclear program acquire sensitive American technology used millions of dollars in illegal proceeds from the program to finance the construction of a mansion in Newport Beach, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Jamshid Ghomi, 63, an Iranian-American businessman living in Newport Coast, California, was charged with conspiring to violate US sanctions laws by providing export-restricted American networks, security and encryption equipment to Iranian customers, including organizations tied to the country’s military and nuclear programs.
“As alleged, Ghomi enriched himself by providing US technology to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and other sanctioned entities responsible for Iran’s nuclear program,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said in a statement.
The arrests come amid a broader crackdown by the regime on Iran’s procurement networks and intelligence operations. In recent years, federal authorities have charged dozens of Iranian nationals and officials accused of obtaining US technology for military purposes and representing the Iranian government.
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Ghomi’s $35 million mansion was reportedly financed in part by proceeds from the illegal sale of American technology to the Iranian government. (Department of Justice)
Ghomi is the founder and CEO of Faraz Pardaz Rayaneh Co. Ltd. (FPR), a Tehran-based technology company, according to court documents, spent more than a decade buying sophisticated US equipment and transferring it to Iranian government agencies through intermediaries in the United Arab Emirates.
Investigators say the evasion scheme netted millions of dollars for Ghomi, who then took steps to conceal the source of the money before moving it to America.
He profited from his Iran-based business through a network of offshore companies and exchange houses located in the British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong, Turkey and the UAE, according to the complaint.
Prosecutors contend that over a 13-year period, more than $15 million tied to Ghomi’s Iran-based business flowed into American financial accounts, including accounts used to finance the construction of his Newport Coast mansion.
Authorities say many of the referrals contain false descriptions such as “Purchasing Goods” and “Consulting Fees.” Prosecutors also said Ghomi falsely reported income to the IRS as a foreign inheritance while underreporting the income on his tax returns.
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Jamshid Ghomi is accused by federal prosecutors of helping the Iranian military and nuclear-linked organizations acquire sensitive US technology and using the proceeds to finance the construction of his Newport Beach mansion. (DOJ District of California)
Court records show his highest reported annual earnings were $20,684. Authorities also say he claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit, a tax benefit intended for low-income or low-income workers, for multiple tax years.
Meanwhile, investigators say Ghomi built and lives in a 14,000 square meter Newport Coast mansion worth an estimated $35 million. Ghomi bought the vacant property in 2010 for about $4.5 million and spent more than $10 million building the residence. Federal authorities suspect more than $7 million in wire transfers from foreign sources linked to the sanctions evasion program went into escrow accounts used to finance the construction of his house.
“Ghomi is accused of aiding and abetting our enemies by selling US-sourced computer networking components to Iran and making millions of dollars in violation of US sanctions laws,” said First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli. “Our country’s laws prohibiting doing business with one of the world’s largest sponsors of terrorism must be enforced and obeyed.”
Investigators suspect that FPR has supplied American-made networking, security and encryption products to some of the most critical organizations of the Iranian regime, including the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), the Ministry of Defense and Military Transportation, Iran Computer Industries and other organizations linked to the military.
Aerial shot of the Ghomi mansion. Federal prosecutors say it was funded in part by money from a scheme to illegally export US technology to Iran. (Department of Justice)
According to prosecutors, FPR provided communications equipment from the US to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) from 2017 to 2023. The agency oversees Iran’s nuclear program, including uranium enrichment and centrifuge operations, and was sanctioned by the US State Department in 2020.
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Ghomi is also accused of supplying more than 250 metric tons of telecommunications and computer equipment to Iran between 2014 and 2018 alone. Prosecutors say he bought hundreds of restricted U.S. technologies and willfully violated U.S. sanctions while taking deliberate steps to hide the activity.
Investigators said Ghomi worked to ensure goods were routed through front companies based in the UAE to hide their destination and instructed his associates to keep his name on invoices and shipping documents.
If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
