Iranian National in U.S. Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Export Military Aircraft Parts to Irans

The Departments of Justice, Commerce, Defense and Homeland Security announced today that Hassan Saied Kehsari and his corporation, Kesh Air International, pleaded guilty this morning in Federal Court in Miami, Florida to charges of conspiring to illegally export military and commercial aircraft parts to Iran.

According to documents filed with the court during the plea hearing, Keshari, an Iranian national and naturalized United States citizen, by and through his Novato, California, corporation, Kesh Air International, purchased aircraft parts on behalf of purchasers in Iran and exported the aircraft parts to Iran via freight forwarders in the United Arab Emirates.

Among the aircraft parts allegedly exported to Iran were parts designed exclusively for the F-14 Fighter Jet, the Cobra AH-1 Attack Helicopter and the CH-53A Military Helicopter. All of these aircraft are used by Iranian military.

According to the Indictment and documents filed with the court during the plea hearing, Keshari received orders by email from buyers in Iran for specific aircraft parts. Keshari then requested quotes, usually by e-mail, from U.S. suppliers and made arrangements for the sale and shipment of the parts to a company in Dubai through the use of false or misleading shipping documents. From Dubai, the parts were then shipped on to the purchasers in Iran.

On the conspiracy count, Hassan Saied Keshari faces a maximum statutory term of five years' imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000. Kesh Air International faces a statutory maximum fine of $500,000. Sentencing is scheduled for April 8, 2009.