Justice Department Charges Leaders of Iranian Financial Services Company With Sanctions Violations
The Department of Justice charged the leaders of a sanctions-evading financial services company in Iran with wire fraud, money laundering, identity theft and sanctions violations, the agency said in a May 18 press release. PAYMENT24 CEO Seyed Sajjad Shahidian and COO Vahid Vali used the company to help Iranian citizens avoid U.S. financial sanctions against Iran, which included purchases of U.S. computer software, software licenses and computer servers. The company offered a package to help clients purchase goods and services from U.S. businesses, including a PayPal account, a fake “ID card,” a remote IP address from the United Arab Emirates and a Visa gift card. The company charged a fee to evade U.S. sanctions, the press release said.
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Justice said Shahidian and Vali hid the destination of U.S.-origin goods when they bought from U.S. businesses. They also used “payment processing accounts” from U.S.-based companies using fake residency information, fake passport documents and other documents obtained through identity theft. Shahidian made his court appearance May 18 after being arrested and extradited from the United Kingdom, but Vali remains at large.