S.C. Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Iran Embargo
Markos Baghdasarian, manager of Delfin Group USA, pleaded guilty Dec. 4 to charges of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), violating the IEEPA and making false statements in connection with his illegal exports to Iran without the required U.S. government licenses, the Department of Justice said. At sentencing, Baghdasarian faces a potential sentence of five years in prison for conspiring to violate IEEPA, 20 years in prison for violating IEEPA and five years in prison for false statements, it said. Baghdasarian was arrested on May 19 in Atlanta and indicted June 14.
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According to DOJ, Baghdasarian was the manager of Delfin Group USA, located in Charleston, S.C., which supplies automotive and marine lubricants to domestic and international markets. From as early as June 13, 2010, until Oct. 12, 2011, Baghdasarian engaged in prohibited transactions with customers in Iran, it said. Under IEEPA, U.S. persons and companies are prohibited from engaging in commercial transactions involving Iran unless authorized by the U.S. Department of Treasury.
Baghdasarian and others received orders from customers in Iran for Delfin USA products, said DOJ. Baghdasarian then registered “paper” companies in the United Arab Emirates and produced fictitious labels for Delfin USA products in order obscure the company identity from export enforcement officials, it said. In addition, he concealed from the U.S. government that materials were being sold to customers in Iran by falsely stating that the UAE was the final end destination of goods intended for Iran. Finally, Baghdasarian caused Delfin USA products to be sold to customers in Iran without obtaining a license from the Treasury Department, DOJ said.