Enforcement Focus On Individual And Criminal Liability: Ohio Man Sentenced To 20 Months For Violations Of Iranian Trade Sanctions

On Thursday, October 24, 2019, Behrooz Behroozian, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty to all counts as alleged for violation of U.S. sanctions on Iran. Over the past twelve years, Behroozian exported and caused the exportation of American-made manifolds, valves, and connectors used for industrial pipelines in the gas and petrochemical (oil refinement) industry to Iran in what the Southern District of Ohio's Judge Graham found to be a deliberate violation of a U.S. embargo and trade sanctions.

According to the Sentencing Memorandum, Behroozian supplied the products to an intermediary company in the U.A.E., Sumar Industrial Equipment, in an attempt to cover-up his illegal conduct. Upon receiving the aforementioned goods, the Sumar company would then export them to Iran.

For U.S. manufacturers and vendors, this Behroozian case highlights the importance of...