Alireza Jalali, 39, of Iran, was sentenced to 15 months in
prison for his participation in a conspiracy to defraud the United States. Jalali pleaded guilty on Nov. 29, 2017,
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C.
Demers, U.S. Attorney Gregory G. Brooker for the District of Minnesota, Acting
Special Agent in Charge Robert C. Bone II of the FBI’s Minneapolis Division,
Special Agent in Charge Dan Clutch of the Department of Commerce-Office of
Export Enforcement (OEE) and Special Agent in Charge Tracy Cormier of Homeland
Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul Field Office made the announcement. Jalali was sentenced today before U.S.
District Judge Joan N. Ericksen.
“Jalali and his co-conspirators illegally sent sensitive
military-use technology to Iran, where it could fall into the hands of Iran’s
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in clear violation of U.S. law,” said
Assistant Attorney General Demers. “This
is a threat to the national security of the United States and our allies, and
we will aggressively prosecute those who brazenly violate our export control
laws.”
“This multi-year investigation highlights the importance of
preventing U.S.-origin technology from being transferred to unauthorized end
users. Fana Moj has designed components for the Iranian military's missile
systems,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Bone. “We must prevent U.S. technology from falling
into the wrong hands, where it could be used against our military members.”
“A top priority of OEE is identifying and disrupting the
illicit export of controlled technology to Iran,” said Special Agent in Charge
Clutch. “OEE will continue to
collaborate with its law enforcement partners to combat these criminal schemes
that threaten U.S. national security.”
“U.S. export controls are in place to keep sensitive
technology from falling into the hands of our nation's enemies,” said Special
Agent in Charge Cormier. “One of HSI's highest priorities is to prevent illicit
procurement networks, terrorist groups, and hostile nations from illegally
obtaining military items and controlled dual-use technology.”
According to the defendant’s guilty plea, from 2009 through
December 2015, Jalali was a part-time employee of Green Wave Telecommunication,
Sdn Bhn, (Green Wave) a Malaysian company located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Since its incorporation in 2009, Green Wave operated as a front company for
Fanavar Moj Khavar (Fana Moj), an Iran-based company that specializes in both
broadcast communications and microwave communications.
As part of the conspiracy, Green Wave was used to acquire
unlawfully sensitive export-controlled technology from the United States on
behalf of Fana Moj. In order to accomplish these acquisitions, Jalali and his
co-conspirators concealed the ultimate unlawful destination and end users of
the exported technology through false statements, unlawful financial
transactions, and other means.
As part of the conspiracy, the defendant’s co-conspirators
would contact producers and distributors of the sought-after technology,
solicit purchase agreements, and negotiate the purchase and delivery of the
goods with the seller. When the goods
were received by Green Wave in Malaysia, Jalali repackaged and unlawfully
exported the items from Malaysia to Fana Moj in Tehran, Iran. In 2017, Fana Moj was designated by the
United States Department of the Treasury as a Specially Designated National for
providing financial, material, technological or other support for, or goods or
services in support of, the IRGC.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the
FBI, the U.S. Department of Commerce-OEE and HSI.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney
Charles J. Kovats of the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney David Recker
of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control
Section, with assistance provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas M. Pravda
for the Eastern District of New York.
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