US detains technology CEO charged with trafficking American equipment to Iran’s nuclear and military sectors.

A dual national of the U.S. and Iran, who serves as the chief executive of a Tehran-based tech firm, has been arrested in the U.S. on federal charges. These charges involve a decade-long operation to unlawfully provide U.S.-origin networking and encryption gear to Iran’s nuclear and military sectors, breaching sanctions law.

Jamshid Ghomi, 63, from Newport Coast, California, was apprehended based on a federal criminal complaint that alleges he conspired to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by acquiring and exporting restricted U.S. technology to Iran without authorization from the Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Prosecutors assert that Ghomi, the founder and CEO of Faraz Pardaz Rayaneh Co. Ltd. (FPR), utilized his company to acquire sensitive U.S. networking equipment, rerouting it through intermediaries in the United Arab Emirates before reaching Iranian clients, including government and military-associated organizations.
It is claimed that between 2011 and 2015, he executed over 400 purchases of restricted items using eBay and PayPal accounts, and subsequently organized direct purchases from suppliers in Minnesota and Nebraska via front companies. Investigators further allege that from 2014 to 2018, he orchestrated the smuggling of more than 250 metric tons of equipment into Iran using freight forwarders in Dubai, while concealing end-user details and altering shipping documents.

Court documents indicate that FPR supplied equipment to the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, which manages the country’s nuclear programme, along with the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics. Prosecutors contend that the company also delivered encryption and security systems to defense-affiliated entities despite explicit sanctions prohibiting such activity.

Officials state that Ghomi hid the operation through complex financial transfers, fraudulent invoicing, and front companies, moving over $15 million into the United States from 2011 to 2024. They also allege he misreported income to tax authorities while financing a multimillion-dollar luxury home in Newport Coast with illicit gains.

Law enforcement representatives characterized the alleged behavior as a calculated attempt to circumvent export controls and funnel advanced U.S. technology to sanctioned Iranian institutions. The Department of Justice noted that this case is part of broader enforcement initiatives aimed at combating illegal technology transfers to opposing states.

If convicted, Ghomi faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. Officials reiterated that the complaint represents allegations, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.