Former CIA station chief Dan Hoffman discussed a case involving tech CEO Jamshid Ghomi, accused of secretly exporting American computer networking parts to Iran. Hoffman highlighted the FBI’s role in uncovering the scheme and raised concerns about potential threats to U.S. national security, especially regarding Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Federal prosecutors have accused Ghomi of exploiting his dual U.S.-Iranian citizenship to assist Iran’s military and nuclear programs. His actions allegedly violated U.S. sanctions laws. Prosecutors claim proceeds from these activities financed his luxury mansion in Newport Beach, California, valued at $35 million.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg stated that Ghomi enriched himself by supplying technology to Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization and other sanctioned bodies responsible for its nuclear program. This arrest is part of a broader effort to tackle Iranian networks illegally obtaining U.S. technology for military use.
Ghomi is the founder and CEO of Faraz Pardaz Rayaneh Co. Ltd. (FPR), a Tehran-based company. U.S. court documents indicate the company spent over a decade acquiring U.S. technology and sending it to Iranian government agencies through intermediaries in the United Arab Emirates. The complaint claims Ghomi laundered millions through offshore entities in locations like the British Virgin Islands and Hong Kong.
From the scheme, more than $15 million reportedly entered U.S. financial accounts. Some funds financed his Newport Beach mansion, which investigators say Ghomi built and resided in while falsely reporting his income.
Authorities noted that Ghomi disguised transfers with misleading descriptions and inaccurately reported funds to the IRS as foreign inheritance, despite claiming tax credits for low-income workers.
FPR allegedly supplied significant amounts of American networking equipment to major Iranian institutions, including the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and the Ministry of Defense. These supplies continued from 2017 to 2023, with the AEOI being sanctioned by the U.S. in 2020.
Between 2014 and 2018, Ghomi reportedly exported over 250 metric tons of technology to Iran. Prosecutors allege he deliberately concealed operations by routing shipments through UAE-based front companies, keeping his name off relevant documents.
If found guilty, Ghomi might face a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
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