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A dual U.S.-Iranian citizen accused of helping Iran’s military and nuclear program obtain sensitive American technology used millions of dollars in illicit proceeds from the scheme to fund the construction of his Newport Beach mansion, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
Jamshid Ghomi, 63, an Iranian-American businessman who lives in Newport Coast, California, was charged with conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions laws by supplying export-restricted American networking, security and encryption equipment to customers in Iran, including entities tied to the country’s military and nuclear enrichment programs.
“As alleged, Ghomi enriched himself by supplying U.S. technology to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and other sanctioned entities responsible for Iran’s nuclear program,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said in a statement.
The arrest comes amid a broader federal crackdown on Iranian procurement networks and intelligence operations. In recent years, federal authorities have charged multiple Iranian nationals and operatives accused of obtaining U.S. technology for military purposes and acting on behalf of the Iranian government.
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Ghomi is the founder and CEO of Faraz Pardaz Rayaneh Co. Ltd. (FPR), a Tehran-based technology company that, according to court documents, spent more than a decade acquiring sophisticated U.S. equipment and funneling it to Iranian government entities through intermediaries in the United Arab Emirates.
Investigators say the alleged sanctions-evasion scheme generated millions of dollars for Ghomi, who then took steps to disguise the money’s origin before moving it into the United States.
He laundered proceeds from his Iran-based business through a network of offshore companies and exchange houses located in the British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong, Turkey and the UAE, according to the complaint.
Prosecutors contend that over a 13-year period, more than $15 million tied to Ghomi’s Iran-based business flowed into American financial accounts, including accounts used to finance construction of his Newport Coast residence.
Authorities say many of the transfers contained false descriptions such as “Buying Goods” and “For Consulting Fees.” Prosecutors further allege Ghomi falsely reported the incoming funds to the IRS as a foreign inheritance while reporting little income on his federal tax returns.
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Court documents show his highest reported annual income was approximately $20,684. Authorities also say he claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit, a tax benefit intended for low- and moderate-income workers, in multiple tax years.
Meanwhile, investigators say Ghomi was building and residing in a 14,000-square-foot Newport Coast mansion valued at roughly $35 million. Ghomi purchased a vacant lot in 2010 for roughly $4.5 million and spent more than $10 million constructing the residence. Federal authorities allege more than $7 million in foreign-source wire transfers linked to the sanctions-evasion scheme flowed into escrow accounts used to finance his mansion construction.
“Ghomi is accused of aiding our declared enemies by selling U.S.-origin computer networking parts to Iran and earning millions of dollars in violation of U.S. sanction laws,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said. “Our nation’s laws prohibiting doing business with one of the world’s largest state sponsors of terrorism must be enforced and obeyed.”
Investigators allege FPR supplied American-made networking, security and encryption products to some of the Iranian regime’s most sensitive organizations, including the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, Iran Computer Industries and other military-affiliated entities.
According to prosecutors, FPR supplied U.S.-origin networking equipment to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) from 2017 through 2023. The agency oversees Iran’s nuclear program, including uranium enrichment and centrifuge operations, and was sanctioned by the U.S. State Department in 2020.
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Ghomi is also accused of supplying more than 250 metric tons of networking and computer equipment to Iran between 2014 and 2018 alone. Prosecutors say he made hundreds of purchases of restricted American technology and knowingly violated U.S. sanctions while taking deliberate steps to conceal the operation.
Investigators say Ghomi worked to ensure shipments were routed through UAE-based front companies to conceal their true destination and instructed associates to keep his name off invoices and shipping documents.
If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
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