California Businessmen Sentenced in Illegal Iran Exports Scheme

(COSTRA MESA, Calif.) -- Two men and their California company were sentenced Wednesday in connection with a scheme to illegally export millions of dollars worth of computer equipment from the United States to Iran through the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Massoud Habibion, 49, was sentenced to 13 months in prison for conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and to defraud the U.S.; while Mohsen Motamedian, 44, was sentenced to three years supervised release for obstruction of justice. The sentences come after the two pled guilty to the charges in February.

As part of the plea agrement, Habibion and the involved Costra Mesa-based Online Micro company will forfeit $1.9 million seized from the comany's bank accounts by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations during the investigation.

Authorities say Habibion and Online Micro conspired with a company operating in Dubai, UAE, and Tehran, Iran, to export computers from the U.S. to Iran through Dubai without first obtaining authorization from the Office of Foreign Assets Control. Both individuals are also reported to have told a government cooperator to lie to U.S. law enforcement officials about the transactions.

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