Lebanese National Sentenced for Attempting to Export Heavy Machinery to Iran
A Lebanese national was sentenced on July 21 to 44 months in prison for attempting to unlawfully export goods from the U.S. to Iran without a license, attempting to smuggle goods from the U.S., submitting false export information and conspiring to commit money laundering, DOJ announced. Brian Assi was convicted in October 2024 of trying to export "U.S.-made heavy machinery" to Iran (see 2410250042).
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Assi, a salesman for a multinational heavy machine producer with a U.S.-based subsidiary in Florida, conspired with people associated with the Iran-based Sakht Abzar Pars Co. to ship U.S.-made equipment indirectly to Iran without first receiving the required export licenses, DOJ said. Assi facilitated the sale of the drills and then tried to ship them to Iran via Turkey, hiding Iranian involvement in the transaction from his employer, DOJ said. Assi submitted false information to the Automated Export System and caused the transfer of about $2.7 million from Turkey "to pass through the United States," DOJ said.