Iranian National Mansour Zadeh Jailed for Smuggling Aviation Parts

Mansour Moghtaderi Zadeh, 56, an Iranian national, is headed to federal prison for orchestrating a years-long scheme to smuggle aviation parts and industrial materials from the United States to Iran—all without required export licenses. Zadeh was sentenced today to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully export goods to a sanctioned nation and defrauding the United States, marking a significant win for federal export enforcement.

The sentencing, handed down by Senior Judge Paul L. Friedman in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, also includes a year of supervised release and a $69,159 forfeiture money judgment against Zadeh. Authorities confirmed he had been operating from Iran, using U.S.-based networks to funnel sensitive technology in violation of strict Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) regulations.

Zadeh admitted in court filings that beginning in October 2005, he used his company, Barsan, to procure U.S.-made components—including fiber optic video transmitters, aviation course indicators, and other dual-use technology—for shipment to Iranian entities. These items, critical in aerospace systems, require explicit federal licensing for export to Iran, a country under comprehensive U.S. sanctions.

In March 2007, Zadeh escalated the operation, attempting to export metal sheets and rods used in aviation manufacturing. This time, he established a new shell corporation, Lavantia, and communicated under an alias to obscure his role. The shipment was flagged by U.S. Commerce Department officials in September 2007, triggering a formal investigation.

The case intensified when the Department of Commerce issued a Temporary Denial Order (TDO) in October 2007, specifically naming Lavantia and Zadeh under his alias, and barring them from any U.S. export activities. Zadeh ignored the order. He and co-conspirators continued shipping resin, sealant, paint, pneumatic grease, film adhesive, and polyurethane coatings—totaling over $69,000 in goods—after the TDO was in place.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Mary B. McCord, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, HSI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. Etre, and BIS Special Agent in Charge Michael Imbrogna all hailed the sentence as a direct strike against sanctions evasion. Prosecutors Frederick W. Yette, Jeffrey Pearlman, and Trial Attorney Thea Kendler led the case, backed by investigators from ICE Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Industry and Security. The message is clear: illicit export networks won’t operate in the shadows.