A 33-year-old Iranian business leader, whose company allowed Iranians to circumvent US sanctions and buy products in the US, using false identity papers, was sentenced on Thursday (October 15) to twenty-five. three months in prison by an American judge.
Seyed Sajjad Shahidian had started an online business, dubbed PAYMENT24 and based in Iran, whose
"main activity"
was to provide advice to Iranian citizens to buy products from American companies, which they are prohibited from, according to one. statement released Thursday by the US Department of Justice.
Read also: Iran: Europeans stand up against the sanctions
“The company offered its customers a
'pack'
to help them make online purchases from US-based businesses that included a PayPal account, an
'ID card and address receipt.'
fraudulent, a remote IP address from the United Arab Emirates, and a Visa gift card, ”
details this release.
Advice
"on how to create accounts with a foreign identity and how to avoid restrictions on foreign websites, including advising customers to
" never attempt to connect to these sites with an Iranian IP address "
, were also sold.
The company's website stated that it applied
"fees to circumvent
"American sanctions"
, and claimed to have imported millions of dollars of foreign currency into Iran "
, further details the press release.
Read also: Return of sanctions: Iran denounces Washington's "maximum isolation"
PAYMENT24 employed forty people, and had offices in the Iranian cities of Tehran and Isfahan.
Seyed
“Shahidian lied to American suppliers, illegally transferred funds from Iran, used fraudulent passports and identity papers, and set up a business the sole purpose of which was to circumvent US sanctions and allow others to do the same, ”
said Deputy Attorney General for National Security John Demers, quoted in the statement.
"Such actions are criminal and threaten our national security interests,"
said Minnesota State Attorney Erica MacDonald.
Seyed Sajjad Shahidian was arrested in London on November 11, 2018 and extradited to the United States on May 15, 2020, where he pleaded guilty in June.
He was convicted by a judge in Minnesota.