DOJ arrests California tech CEO accused of supplying US equipment to Iran's nuclear program
SANTA ANA, CA: Federal authorities arrested Jamshid Ghomi, a 63-year-old dual US-Iranian national and tech executive, on Wednesday, June 3, for allegedly running an illicit procurement network that funneled sophisticated American technology to Iran's nuclear and military establishments.
Ghomi, a resident of Newport Coast, faces federal conspiracy charges for violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by bypassing strict trade restrictions to aid declared adversaries.
According to prosecutors, Ghomi used his Tehran-based technology firm, Faraz Pardaz Rayaneh Co Ltd (FPR), to acquire controlled US-origin networking, encryption, and security equipment without obtaining the required Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) licenses.
The illicit operation generated annual sales exceeding $10 million, explicitly catering to blacklisted regime clients. Ghomi is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in the United States District Court in Santa Ana.
Technology funneled to uranium enrichment sites
The federal affidavit reveals that Ghomi's company became an approved vendor for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), the state agency overseeing the country's controversial centrifuge and uranium-enrichment programs.
Between 2017 and 2023, FPR actively supplied American computer hardware to the AEOI, which was officially sanctioned by the US State Department in 2020 for exceeding enrichment thresholds.
Furthermore, from 2014 to 2022, Ghomi's network delivered specialized security and encryption equipment to Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics.
Front companies hidden behind deceptive paperwork
To bypass customs, Ghomi arranged the transportation of more than 250 metric tons of networking gear between 2014 and 2018.
He routed physical shipments through freight forwarders in Dubai and suppliers in Minnesota and Nebraska, ordering co-conspirators to delete names and invoices from documentation.
In internal communications, the network referred to Iran as "Motherland" while hiding restricted hardware inside unrelated commercial cargo.
Illicit revenue laundered into luxury real estate
Ghomi allegedly laundered over $15 million in proceeds back into the United States via complex wire transfers from Hong Kong, Turkey, and the British Virgin Islands.
He hid these transactions from the IRS by falsely claiming them as foreign inheritances while simultaneously claiming low-income Earned Income Tax Credits.
First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli announced that the government will seek a significant prison sentence and asset forfeiture, including Ghomi's $35 million Newport Beach mansion, which was built using the illegal foreign wires. Ghomi faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
