An Iranian national and his company pled guilty to conspiring to illegally export military aircraft parts to Iran. They purchased parts from a supplier in Florida and shipped them to Iran through Dubai, using false shipping documents. The parts were for aircraft in the Iranian military, including F-14 fighter jets. The defendant faces up to 5 years in prison and fines. The case is part of a larger initiative to crack down on illegal weapons exports.

1. DOJ Press Release: DEFENDANT PLEADS GUILTY TO CONSPIRING TO EXPORT MILITARY AIRCRAFT PARTS TO IRAN 30/10/2011 15:35
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DEFENDANT PLEADS GUILTY TO CONSPIRING TO
Seminars And Training
EXPORT MILITARY AIRCRAFT PARTS TO IRAN
International
Programs WASHINGTON - R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern
Defense Industrial District of Florida, Michael Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of
Base Programs Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, Anthony V. Mangione, Special Agent in
Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Investigations,
and Sharon Woods, Director, U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Criminal
Investigative Service, announced that defendant Hassan Saied Keshari and his
corporation, Kesh Air International, pled guilty this morning in Miami to charges
of conspiring to illegally export military and commercial aircraft parts to Iran.
Keshari appeared on behalf of himself and Kesh Air International in federal court
today to announce their guilty pleas. Charges are still pending against two
remaining defendants charged in the indictment, Traian Bujduveanu and his
corporation, Orion Aviation Corp. Sentencing is scheduled for April 8, 2009 at
8:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Seitz.
Count 1 of the Indictment, to which Keshari and Kesh Air International pled
guilty, charges conspiracy to export and cause the export of goods from the
United States to the Islamic Republic Iran, in violation of the Embargo imposed
upon that country by the United States and in violation of the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act, Title 50, United States Code, 1705(a), and to
export and cause to be exported defense articles, in violation of the Arms Export
Control Act, Title 22, United States Code, Section 2778(b), all in violation of Title
18, United States Code, Section 371. On the conspiracy count, Hassan Saied
Keshari faces a maximum statutory term of (5) years' imprisonment and a
maximum fine of $250,000. Kesh Air International faces a statutory maximum
fine of $500,000.
According to documents filed with the court during the plea hearing, Keshari, an
Iranian national and naturalized United States citizen, by and through his
Novato, California, corporation, Kesh Air International, purchased aircraft parts
on behalf of purchasers in Iran and exported the aircraft parts to Iran by way of
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2. DOJ Press Release: DEFENDANT PLEADS GUILTY TO CONSPIRING TO EXPORT MILITARY AIRCRAFT PARTS TO IRAN 30/10/2011 15:35
freight forwarders in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The military aircraft parts
were purchased from a supplier in Broward County, defendant Traian
Bujduveanu, who operated through his Broward County business, defendant
Orion Aviation Corp. Among the aircraft parts illegally exported to Iran through
the conspiracy were parts designed exclusively for the F-14 Fighter Jet, the
Cobra AH-1 Attack Helicopter, and the CH-53A Military Helicopter. All of these
aircraft are part of the Iranian military fleet, while the F-14 is known to be used
exclusively by the Iranian military.
Moreover, all of the parts supplied by Keshari as part of the conspiracy are
manufactured in the United States, are designed exclusively for military use, and
have been designated by the United States Department of State as "defense
articles" on the United States Munitions List, thus requiring registration and
licensing with the Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.
Neither Keshari nor his co-defendants are registered or had the required licenses
to ship defense articles to Iran.
According to the Indictment and documents filed with the court during the plea
hearing, Keshari received orders by email from buyers in Iran for specific aircraft
parts. Keshari then requested quotes, usually by e-mail, from Bujduveanu and
other suppliers and made arrangements for the sale and shipment of the parts to
a company in Dubai through the use of false or misleading shipping documents.
From Dubai, the parts were then shipped on to the purchasers in Iran.
Keshari has been in federal custody since his arrest in June 2008 and will remain
in custody pending his sentencing. Co-defendant Bujduveanu also remains in
federal custody awaiting trial, which is scheduled for May 2009.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Department of
Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, Office of Investigations, and the U.S. Department of Defense,
Defense Criminal Investigative Service, for their work on this investigation. The
case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Damian.
Over the past fiscal year, the National Export Enforcement Initiative has also
resulted in the creation of Counter-Proliferation Task Forces in various judicial
districts around the country. Today, there are approximately 15 such task forces
or versions of them nationwide. In addition, the initiative has resulted in
enhanced training for more than 500 agents and prosecutors involved in export
control and the creation of new mechanisms to enhance counter-proliferation
coordination among law enforcement agencies, export licensing agencies and the
Intelligence Community.
Among the most recent cases brought in connection with the initiative was an
indictment returned today in the District of Minnesota charging three individuals,
Jian Wei Ding, Kok Tong Lim, and Ping Cheng, with conspiring to illegally export
to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) controlled carbon-fiber material with
applications in rockets, satellites, spacecraft, and uranium enrichment process.
According to the indictment, the intended destination for some of the material
was the China Academy of Space Technology, which oversees research institutes
working on spacecraft systems for the PRC.
Unveiled in Oct. 2007, the National Export Enforcement Initiative is a cooperative
effort by the Justice Department’s National Security Division (NSD), the
Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Commerce’s
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the Pentagon’s Defense Criminal
Investigative Service (DCIS), the State Department’s Directorate of Defense
Trade Controls, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and
other agencies.
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3. DOJ Press Release: DEFENDANT PLEADS GUILTY TO CONSPIRING TO EXPORT MILITARY AIRCRAFT PARTS TO IRAN 30/10/2011 15:35
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