CEO Arrested for Exporting Aerospace-Grade Metals to Iran
Defendant, Erdal Kuyumcu of Woodside, NY, was arrested on March 1, 2016 on federal charges of illegally exporting a cobalt-nickel metallic powder (used in missile production and nuclear applications) from the United States to Iran through an intermediary in Turkey.
The complaint alleges that Kuyumcu, a U.S. citizen and the CEO of Global Metallurgy LLC, twice exported a specialized metallic powder used in aerospace, missile production and nuclear applications. In the complaint, exporting this specialized powder to Iran without a license was done without the requisite approval from OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control). To conceal the true destination of the goods from the U.S. supplier, Kuyumcu and a co-conspirator arranged for the items to be shipped first to Turkey and subsequently to Iran. They used coded language when discussing Iran, such as calling Iran the “Neighbor” referring to the fact that Turkey shares a border with Iran.
From Assistant Attorney General Carlin:
In circumventing U.S. law, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the defendant harmed our nation’s security. The department will continue to vigorously pursue and hold accountable those who evade our export laws in pursuit of profit.
From U.S. Attorney Capers:
U.S. export laws exist to prevent potentially dangerous goods and technology from falling into the wrong hands. Those who seek to evade the scrutiny of the regulatory agencies by operating in the shadows present danger to our national security and allies abroad. We will still continue to use all of our law enforcement and national security tools to hold such individuals and corporations accountable.
To read the entire press release
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