Jamshid Ghomi Charged With Laundering $15 Million to Supply U.S. Tech to Iran
Updated
Updated · Forbes · Jun 3
Jamshid Ghomi Charged With Laundering $15 Million to Supply U.S. Tech to Iran
3 articles · Updated · Forbes · Jun 3
Summary
63-year-old Jamshid Ghomi was arrested Wednesday on charges he routed U.S. networking, security and encryption equipment to Iran's Atomic Energy Organization and defense ministry.
Prosecutors said the Tehran-based CEO used intermediaries in the UAE and made more than 400 purchases through personal eBay and PayPal accounts to move the equipment from 2014 to 2023.
More than $15 million allegedly flowed from Iran into U.S. bank and escrow accounts, falsely labeled as inheritance, even as his tax returns reported almost no income.
A $35 million Newport Beach mansion is now a target for seizure; prosecutors say over $7 million in foreign wire transfers helped fund the property, and Ghomi faces up to 20 years if convicted.
How did a Newport Coast CEO smuggle tons of US tech to Iran's nuclear program for a decade undetected?
As US sanctions tighten, are China and 'shadow banks' making Iran's illicit procurement networks unstoppable?
With this smuggled US tech, how much closer is Iran to developing a nuclear bomb?
250 Tons of U.S. Technology Smuggled to Iran: The Arrest and Prosecution of Jamshid Ghomi
Overview
On June 3, 2026, authorities in California arrested Jamshid Ghomi, a dual national, on federal charges for running a decade-long scheme to illegally export over 250 metric tons of sensitive U.S. networking, security, and encryption equipment to Iran. The smuggled technology was allegedly sent to key Iranian organizations, including the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and the Ministry of Defense, raising serious national security concerns. Ghomi also faces accusations of laundering more than $15 million and committing tax fraud, with his financial maneuvers aimed at hiding the proceeds from these illegal exports and evading U.S. taxes.