WASHINGTON -- A dual U.S.-Iranian citizen has been arrested by the FBI on charges of seeking to evade U.S. export restrictions imposed on Iran.
Kambiz Attar Kashani, 44, was detained on January 14 in Chicago after he tried to ship goods and technology to the Central Bank of Iran, the Department of Justice said in a statement.
The U.S. bans the sale of goods and services to certain Iranian government agencies, including the Central Bank, on the grounds that they act for or on behalf of terrorist organizations.
Kashani used United Arab Emirate-based companies he controlled to procure electronic goods and technology from U.S. companies for eventual delivery to Iran without acquiring necessary export licenses, the Justice Department said.
Kashani is charged with one count of conspiracy to unlawfully export goods to Iran, and will be arraigned in court in Illinois on January 18.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a $1 million fine.