Man Charged with Acting as Unregistered Agent of Iran
and Violating U.S. Sanctions on Iran

PHILADELPHIA – Laurie Magid, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, today announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Ali Amirnazmi, 64, of Berwyn, PA., with numerous crimes relating to his participation in illegal business transactions with Iran between in or about 1996 and in or about July 2008 and lying to federal officials about those transactions.

The charges against Amirnazmi include one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which makes it a crime to willfully violate U.S. sanctions on designated countries (i.e. Iran), four counts of violating IEEPA, one count of conspiracy to act in the United States as an agent of the Government of Iran without registering with the Attorney General, one count of acting in the United States as an unregistered agent of the Government of Iran, and three counts of making false statements to federal officials.

According to the indictment, Amirnazmi, a citizen of both the United States and Iran, engaged in numerous illegal business transactions and investments with companies located in Iran, including companies controlled in whole or in part by the Government of Iran, all of which are prohibited under U.S. government sanctions.

Amirnazmi was arrested this morning at his home in Berwyn.

If convicted of all charges, Amirnazmi faces a maximum sentence of 115 years imprisonment; a $5.5 million fine; 3 years supervised release; and $1,000 in special assessments.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Miller.

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