Manhattan, NY – In a landmark case against international financial corruption, former Turkish banker Mehmet Hakan Atilla has been arrested and charged with conspiring to evade U.S. sanctions against Iran.
The charges stem from allegations that Atilla, who once served as Deputy General Manager of International Banking at Turkish Bank-1, collaborated with Reza Zarrab, a/k/a ‘Riza Sarraf,’ to facilitate illegal transactions on behalf of the Iranian government and its entities. The scheme, which is accused of funneling millions of dollars to Iran, violated U.S. sanctions in place since 1979.
Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Joon H. Kim, stated that Atilla’s actions were part of a years-long conspiracy aimed at circumventing American financial laws. ‘As alleged, Atilla participated in a scheme to violate American sanctions laws by helping Zarrab use U.S. financial institutions to engage in prohibited transactions,’ said Kim.
The FBI’s Assistant Director-in-Charge, William F. Sweeney Jr., emphasized the significance of the investigation. ‘Iran continues to illustrate its intent to evade sanctions and violate U.S. law,’ Sweeney said. ‘Our work in this case shows how unscrupulous behavior is exposed when massive amounts of money are moved through U.S. banks under false pretenses.’
According to the Complaint, Atilla and Zarrab are accused of using fraudulent documents to disguise prohibited Iranian financial transactions as humanitarian aid. The alleged scheme took steps to protect and hide Zarrab’s ability to supply currency and gold to Iran, including entities identified by the Treasury Department as Specially Designated Nationals.
Atilla was arrested on March 27, 2017, and is scheduled to appear in Manhattan federal court before United States Magistrate Judge James C. Francis IV today. The investigation into this alleged conspiracy continues.
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News