On October 7, 2024, American authorities arrested Kambiz Eghbali, also known as Cameron Eghbali, a 50-year-old man from Los Angeles, for conspiring to send digital and physical gift cards to Iran, according to IRNA's Wednesday night report citing a statement published on the website of the US Justice Department.
The statement says Eghbali, along with Hamid Hajipour and Babak Bahizad, both Iranian nationals who are still on the run, have been charged with bank fraud and conspiracy to launder money.
The Iranian-America was arrested on Tuesday on charges of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and money laundering, based on an indictment that has now been declassified. Hajipour and Bahizad have also been charged but are not in custody.
According to the indictment, Eghbali introduced his company, which is a wholesaler and distributor of video games in America, as the seller of digital cards, and two Iranian nationals used his bank accounts in other countries for these cards bypassing American banking laws.
If the charges are proven, these people will face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for violating US sanctions apart from 30 years in prison for bank fraud and 20 years for money laundering.
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