California Man Faces Charges for Illegal Tech Exports to Iran

A businessman from California, Jamshid Ghomi, is accused of supplying American computer networking equipment to Iran, targeting organizations linked to the country’s nuclear and military programs. He faces a conspiracy charge according to the U.S. Justice Department.

Jamshid Ghomi, 63, residing in Newport Coast, California, holds dual citizenship with Iran and the United States. Authorities charged him with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Ghomi, the CEO of Tehran-based Faraz Pardaz Rayaneh, is at the center of the case.

The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California filed a federal complaint outlining Ghomi’s activities from 2011 to 2023. He allegedly secured large amounts of American-made technology, routing it through intermediaries in the United Arab Emirates to Iran. Exporting such technology to Iran requires authorization from the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Treasury Department.

For over a decade, Ghomi personally acquired substantial amounts of restricted networking equipment, primarily through eBay, and arranged for their shipment. The equipment included routers, firewalls, switches, and modules produced by Cisco Systems, Juniper Networks, Extreme Networks, and Hewlett-Packard.

The complaint reveals that Ghomi’s company provided American-made equipment to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, overseeing the country’s nuclear program, from 2017 to 2023. Investigators noted that the company also sold networking, security, and encryption equipment to Iran’s Ministry of Defense and associated military organizations between 2014 and 2022.

“Our nation’s laws prohibiting doing business with one of the world’s largest state sponsors of terrorism must be enforced and obeyed,” stated Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California.

If convicted, Ghomi could receive up to 20 years in federal prison. His lawyer did not immediately comment when contacted.

Authorities stated that Ghomi channeled proceeds from his sales into the United States via a network of companies and exchange houses in multiple locations, including the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Hong Kong, and the British Virgin Islands.

Federal investigators indicated that between 2011 and 2024, over $15 million was transferred from Iran to bank and escrow accounts linked to Ghomi. He reported the funds to the Internal Revenue Service as a foreign inheritance while showing minimal annual income on his federal tax returns.

Ghomi made his initial court appearance without entering a plea, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

This case is part of broader U.S. efforts to restrict technology transfers to rival countries like Iran, Russia, and China. In recent years, the Justice and Commerce Departments have collaborated to enforce laws limiting critical technology distribution.