Three Iranians Arrested in Miami for Violating U.S. Sanctions

A former Miami University professor, along with his wife and sister, have been arrested. They are accused of purchasing genetic sequencing equipment from American factories and illegally transferring it to Iran.

The first court hearing for Mohammad Faghihi, 52, his wife Farzaneh Modares, 53, and his sister Fayzeh Faghihi, 50, began on Tuesday, September 14 (September 23 in the Persian calendar) in Miami Federal Court. All three are charged with “conspiracy against the United States, money laundering, and several other crimes.”

According to the Associated Press, this family owns a company in Florida called “Express Gene.” Based on the court documents, Express Gene received numerous online wire transfers between October 2016 and November 2020 from accounts in Malaysia, China, Singapore, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates, totaling approximately $3.5 million.

Part of this money was used to purchase genetic sequencing equipment from American factories and send it to Iran, all without authorization and in violation of sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

According to prosecutors, “Mohammad Faghihi enters Miami International Airport in February and falsely tells customs and protective agents that he has not conducted any work or research in Iran related to his profession.”

However, according to security officials, he is the director of a laboratory at the Faculty of Medicine at Shiraz University registered under his name: Dr. Faghihi’s Medical Genetics Center. Upon inspection of Faghihi’s luggage, 17 bottles of unidentified biological materials were discovered, placed in ice bags and hidden underneath bread and other food items.

Faghihi was an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami from 2013 to 2020. During this period, he was also a senior researcher at several national institutes in the field of health assistance.

U.S. security officials say, “Express Gene and Faghihi received large sums of money through international online wire transfers during this same period.” However, Faghihi was unable to fulfill his obligations to the university and the National Institutes of Health.

In the court’s online records, there is no indication of lawyers representing Faghihi and his family.

Source: DW