Aug. 28--REPORTING FROM SAN DEIGO -- An Iranian immigrant has been sentenced in San Diego federal court to 6 1/2 years in prison after being convicted in a scheme to send high-technology equipment to Iran.
Arash Ghahreman, 45, who came to the U.S. in 2007 and is a naturalized citizen, was convicted in a plan to send fiber optic gyrocompasses and electron tubes to Iran through a front company in Dubai. The equipment has civilian and military uses, authorities said.
A co-defendant, Ergun Yildiz, 35, a German national, was sentenced in May to 23 months in prison. A second co-defendant, Koorush Taherkani, 43, an Iranian national, remains a fugitive.
Ghahreman, sentenced Thursday, was convicted of smuggling, money laundering, and conspiracy to export material to an embargoed country.
"The proliferation of sensitive U.S. technologies to Iran continues to be a threat to U.S. national security," said U.S. Atty. Laura Duffy.
The equipment never reached Iran, officials said.
