Darus Zehrbach, a 72-year-old man from Westover, West Virginia, is headed to federal prison for six months after lying to a U.S. agent about illegally shipping electric scooters to Iran. The sentence, handed down today in Clarksburg, marks the end of a years-long investigation into sanctions violations and deliberate deception of federal authorities.
Zehrbach pleaded guilty in January 2019 to one count of “False Statement to Federal Agent,” admitting he misled an agent from the U.S. Department of Commerce. In February 2015, he was formally denied a license by the Office of Foreign Assets Control to export electric scooters to Iran — a country under strict U.S. trade sanctions. Despite the denial, Zehrbach pushed forward.
In June 2016, he shipped eight electric scooters to the United Arab Emirates, fully aware they would be rerouted to Iran. By July 2016, the scooters had reached their final destination in Iran. This move wasn’t just a violation of export laws — it was a direct breach of national security protocols designed to limit technology flow to hostile regimes.
To cover his tracks, Zehrbach submitted a letter to a federal agent falsely claiming the scooters had originated in China. In reality, the shipment came from the United States. That lie is what ultimately sealed his fate — not just the illegal export, but the deliberate attempt to mislead a federal investigator.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod J. Douglas and the Department of Justice National Security Division. Investigators from the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement led the probe, tracing the shipment and exposing Zehrbach’s falsehoods through shipping records and communications.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided over the sentencing in Clarksburg. Zehrbach’s six-month sentence underscores the federal government’s hard line on both sanctions violations and lying to federal agents — a crime that, though seemingly narrow, carries serious consequences when tied to national security risks.
Related Federal Cases
- Morgantown Insurance Agent Robert Altmann Sentenced in Fraud Scheme · West Virginia
- Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Lying to FBI in Prep Academy Scam · West Virginia
- WV Barber Board Staffer Pilfers Fees · West Virginia
- WV Cemetery Owner Plundered Grieving Families · West Virginia
- WV Barber Board Staffer Scammed Nail Techs, Pocketed $1855 · West Virginia
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News