James P. Meharg, Exporting Technology to Iran, Florida 2023

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA - In a shocking case of international corruption, Pensacola business owner James P. Meharg, 60, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison for conspiring to sell and export power generating equipment to a recipient in Iran, in violation of federal law.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida, Meharg, CEO and president of Turbine Resources International, LLC, in Pensacola, conspired with citizens of the United Kingdom and Iran to export a large turbine and parts from the United States to an Iranian recipient between October 1, 2017, and June 12, 2019.

The scheme involved Meharg sending an invoice for $500,000 to a conspirator in the United Kingdom and receiving two partial payments of $124,950 each, on May 7 and May 24, 2018. At least one of these payments was routed through a company in Dubai. In total, Meharg received approximately $250,000 in funds laundered through foreign accounts as payment for having the turbine sent to Iran.

Law enforcement authorities were able to seize the turbine before its transatlantic journey to the end user in Iran, who is linked to an Iranian energy company. Meharg also falsified documents used to lawfully export items from the United States.

"Exporting technology to Iran is prohibited by law in order to protect the national security interests of the United States of America, and this defendant chose to put his own self-interest and greed above such interests," said U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe. "Federal imprisonment should send a clear signal that the United States cannot and will not look the other way when one of its citizens endangers the safety of our nation."

Meharg's prison sentence will be followed by three years of federal supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit a monetary judgment in the amount of $250,000.00.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/pensacola-executive-sentenced-40-months-federal-prison-conspiring-foreign-nationals