The head of a New York-based metallurgy company was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison on Thursday for conspiring to illegally export missile-grade metallic powder to Iran, Reuters reports.
Erdal Kuyumcu, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dora Irizarry in Brooklyn after pleading guilty in June 2016 to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, court records show.
"We are obviously very disappointed in the court's sentence today, and will be exploring the available options," said Kuyumcu's attorney, Patrick Mullin, who had sought a sentence of probation.
Prosecutors said Kuyumcu, the chief executive of Global Metallurgy LLC, conspired to obtain more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg) of cobalt-nickel metallic powder, which can be used in aerospace, missile production and nuclear applications, for export to Iran.
