June 4, 2019

Indictments unsealed in Iran sanctions enforcement action

An indictment, returned on April 22, 2015 but unsealed today, charges Peyman Amiri Larijani, an Iranian national, and Kral Havacilik IC VE DIS Ticaret Sirketi (“Kral”), a Turkish company, with conspiracy to acquire US origin aircraft parts and goods for end-users in Iran, to conceal the destination of the goods, and to evade the regulations, prohibitions, and licensing requirements of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR), and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). A second indictment, returned on October 6, 2016, charges Larijani, Mahan Air, Kral, and four other individuals with conspiracy to export US goods to Iran.

According to the indictment, Larijani and co-conspirators purchased US-origin aircraft parts from US companies and wired payment for the parts to banks in the US, while transshipping the parts through Turkey and hiding the end consumers of the goods, airlines in Iran including Mahan, Sahand and Kish.  Mahan Air was designated by OFAC for providing financial, material and technological support to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force.

DOJ press release