United States Attorney's Office
Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Contact: Patricia Hartman, (215) 861-8525
UPDATE ON THE ARREST OF Mohammad Reza Vaghari, a/k/a “Mitch Vaghari” of Broomall, PA and why did he need a a centrifuge that weighed approximately 1,000 pounds delivered to his below ground apartment.
On November 13, 2008, the government filed a six-count Indictment against defendants Mohammad Reza Vaghari and Mir Hossein Ghaemi. Vaghari is named in all six counts of the Indictment; Ghaemi is named in Count One.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Two immigrants used a Pennsylvania company to sell fuel-cell technology, centrifuges, computer equipment, car parts and other materials to Iran, federal prosecutors said in an indictment unsealed Monday 11/17/2008.
Mohammad Reza Vaghari a/k/a “Mitch Vaghari”, 41, of Broomall, and Mir Hossein Ghaemi, 42, of Edgewood, Md., are accused of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. There were no charges related to terrorism, said Patricia Hartman, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Philadelphia.
The men, who are originally from Iran, were arrested at their homes on Monday, Hartman said. Vaghari's passport was seized and he was released from federal custody; Ghaemi remained in custody Monday pending surrender of his passport.
Conducting business under the name Saamen Company LLC, the two men conspired to export goods that included electrical, laboratory, medical and computing equipment; ultrasonic liquid processors; fuel cell technology; automobile parts; and centrifuges, the grand jury indictment said.
Between 2002 and the present, the two shipped the goods to unknown conspirators in the United Arab Emirates (Dubai), knowing that they were eventually destined for Iran, authorities said. Vaghari also allegedly made false statements in connection with his attempt to obtain U.S. citizenship around November 2004; since 1998, authorities said, he has had a permanent resident card that was procured fraudulently.
August 5th 2009....The Indictment charges defendants with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”), 50 U.S.C. §§ 1705 et seq., in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 (Count One); three substantive counts of violating IEEPA, in violation of, inter alia, 50 U.S.C. §§ 1701 et seq., and aiding and abetting, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2 (Counts Two, Three and Four); naturalization fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1425 (Count Five); and possession of immigration documents procured by fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a) (Count Six). In particular, the government alleges that “[d]efendants together conducted business under the name Saamen Company , LLC (‘Saamen’), . . . through which the defendants conspired to export goods, technology, and services from the United States for ultimate delivery to Iran . . . .” (Indict. ¶ 3.)
Presently before the Court is Defendant Mohammad Reza Vaghari’s Motion to Suppress Documents and Other Evidence Seized by the FBI from His Residence.1 In the Motion, defendant moves to suppress: (1) all documentary and other evidence seized by the FBI pursuant to warrantless searches of his residence at any time prior to October 28, 2005; (2) all documentary and other evidence seized from his residence by the FBI without a warrant or consent on October 28, 2005; (3) all documentary and other evidence seized by the FBI from his residence on December 13, 2005 pursuant to a search warrant that was based, in significant part, on information obtained from items seized unlawfully on October 28, 2005; and (4) all additional evidence that is the fruit of the documents and other information seized by the FBI on October 28, 2005 and December 13, 2005.
The Court held a hearing and oral argument on defendant’s Motion to Suppress on July 23, 2009. DEFENDANTS MOTION TO SUPRESS IS DENIED.........
II. BACKGROUND; On October 28, 2005, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents went to Mohammad Reza Vaghari’s apartment to question him about a centrifuge that weighed approximately 1,000 pounds and was delivered to his below ground apartment, read more at this link....................
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