Two California men have been charged in a scheme to smuggle more than $3 million worth of military aircraft parts and other defense items to Iran, U.S. federal prosecutors said on Friday, Reuters reported.
Zavik Zargarian, 52, and Vache Nayirian, 57, who live outside Los Angeles, were arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement.
"The crimes charged in this indictment are very serious threats to our national security," Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary McCord said on Friday. "As a nation, it is vital that we protect our military technology and prevent it from getting into the hands of other countries without proper authorization."
The U.S. embargo on Iran bars the export of goods, technology and services to the country with few exceptions.
If convicted, Zargarian faces a maximum sentence of 115 years in federal prison and a $4,770,000 fine, while Nayirian faces a maximum sentence of 95 years in prison and a $3,770,000 fine, prosecutors said.
