Jamshid Ghomi, a 63-year-old dual U.S.-Iranian national and technology executive residing in Newport Coast, California, was arrested on federal charges this week for allegedly orchestrating a decade-long scheme to illegally export sensitive American computer networking and encryption equipment to Iran. The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Ghomi, who serves as CEO of a Tehran-based technology company, is accused of establishing an intricate international procurement network that routed restricted U.S. technology through multiple intermediary countries before it reached Iran, including entities linked to the country’s military and nuclear programs.
The federal complaint outlines alleged violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and U.S. sanctions regulations enforced by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). According to court filings, Ghomi is accused of conspiring to circumvent stringent export restrictions by acquiring controlled networking and encryption equipment without proper authorization. These items were then allegedly routed through third countries to obscure their ultimate destination in Iran.
Investigators describe a highly complex international structure purportedly built around Ghomi’s Tehran-based firm, which sourced U.S.-origin technology for Iranian customers. The alleged scheme utilized freight forwarding hubs in the United Arab Emirates, various front companies, and online payment systems to disguise transactions and conceal the true end-users. Officials estimate that these methods facilitated hundreds of shipments of restricted goods over more than a decade.
The DOJ states that the equipment entered Iran through layered supply chains designed to mask its origin and final destination. Portions of this technology reportedly ended up in organizations connected to Iran’s defense and nuclear infrastructure. Prosecutors, citing information from FOX 11 Los Angeles, allege that some of the supplied technology went to government-connected entities already subject to U.S. sanctions, including agencies involved in military development and nuclear oversight.
The investigation, a joint effort by multiple federal agencies including the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, focused on alleged breaches of U.S. export control laws. These laws are specifically designed to prevent adversarial governments from accessing sensitive American technology. Authorities describe this case as a component of broader enforcement initiatives targeting global procurement networks that attempt to evade sanctions via third-country intermediaries.
Court filings further allege that Ghomi leveraged commercial platforms and intermediary accounts to facilitate the purchase of U.S. technology, with transactions routed through international payment systems and shipping firms. Investigators claim that communications and invoices associated with these transactions contained coded references and misdirection intended to obscure Iran as the final destination of the goods, according to Trending Politics.
Federal prosecutors also allege that the operation generated millions of dollars in annual revenue, yet only a fraction of this income was reported to U.S. tax authorities. Funds were purportedly moved through international financial networks involving shell companies across multiple jurisdictions before being transferred back into the United States under disguised descriptions, such as consulting payments or foreign transfers. Authorities contend that portions of these proceeds were used to acquire luxury assets in the United States, including a multimillion-dollar estate in Newport Coast. The complaint states that foreign-sourced funds were funneled into construction and real estate accounts over several years, while Ghomi allegedly reported minimal income on tax filings during the same period, also utilizing false income classifications, including claims of foreign inheritance.
In a public statement, federal prosecutors underscored that the case reflects ongoing efforts to prevent the export of sensitive U.S. technologies to sanctioned regimes and to disrupt the financial and logistical networks supporting such transfers. They argue that the vigorous enforcement of sanctions laws is crucial for national security and for limiting access to advanced American-made systems by adversarial military programs. Ghomi is charged with conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions laws and faces significant potential prison time if convicted. Additional allegations concerning money laundering and tax-related offenses remain under investigation as the case proceeds in U.S. District Court in Southern California. Ghomi is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
