Iranian Businessman Arrested at His Home in the US

In a surprise operation on Wednesday, June 3, FBI agents arrested Jamshid Ghomi, a 63-year-old businessman with dual Iranian-American citizenship, at his $35 million mansion in Newport Beach, California.

According to the New York Post, Ghomi has been charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Prosecutors stated that for more than a decade, he sold American computer networking equipment to the Iranian government and military entities, including the country’s nuclear program, through a company he had established in Tehran.

Bill Esaily, a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, said: “Ghomi is accused of aiding our adversaries by selling computer networking components to Iran and pocketing millions of dollars in violation of sanctions laws.”

According to the prosecutor, Ghomi earned more than $10 million annually through his computer company but declared a maximum income of $20,000 to the IRS. He is also under investigation for money laundering and tax evasion.

To conceal the true destination of the shipments, Ghomi channeled the equipment to Iran through a shell company in the United Arab Emirates, using intermediaries in Dubai. He also used his personal eBay and PayPal accounts to purchase hundreds of computer components.

Prosecutor Esaily emphasized that the arrest demonstrates the federal government’s resolve to enforce sanctions laws under current wartime conditions, adding that Ghomi’s assets, including his $35 million villa, will be seized.