LOS ANGELES – In a stunning turn of events, Bahram Mohammad Ostovari, the 66-year-old CEO of an Iranian engineering company, has been apprehended for allegedly shipping sophisticated electronics to Iran in clear violation of U.S. sanctions.
Ostovari, a Tehran resident with a Santa Monica address, was nabbed upon his return to Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday afternoon. He now faces four counts of federal charges, including conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and three counts of violating the IEEPA.
According to court documents, Ostovari is the founder of a Tehran-based engineering firm that supplied signaling and telecommunications systems to Iran’s government. He and his alleged co-conspirators are accused of obtaining and shipping computer processors, railway signaling equipment, and other electronics, many subject to federal regulations, to their Iranian company from May 2018 to July 2025 without the required license.
Using two front companies in the UAE as intermediaries, Ostovari is alleged to have concealed his true end-user – Company A in Iran – from U.S. suppliers. Despite becoming a lawful permanent resident of the United States in May 2020, he continued the illegal scheme.
The IEEPA and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR) impose strict controls on transactions with Iran. Ostovari, his companies, and co-conspirators never applied for or obtained authorization from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), despite knowing about the sanctions.
Should Ostovari be found guilty, he faces a potential 20 years in federal prison for each count. The case is currently being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Industry and Security Office of Export Enforcement, and IRS Criminal Investigation.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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