Bel Air man charged with violating U.S. sanctions against Iran

LOS ANGELES, California — A Bel Air man has been arrested on charges of violating U.S. sanctions by allegedly sending $2.4 million in gift cards to Iran. The indictment also names two Iranian nationals who remain at large.

Kambiz Eghbali, a 50-year-old dual citizen of the United States and Iran, faces charges including violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. His arraignment is scheduled for this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles, according to a press release from the United States Attorney's Office.

The indictment, unsealed today, alleges that from March 2014 through September 2019, Eghbali and others conspired to send digital and physical gift cards loaded with U.S. dollars to Iran. Eghbali reportedly listed his North Hills-based company as the seller of the gift cards, which were provided to Babak Bahizad and Hamid Hajipour for their respective Iran-based businesses.

Bahizad and Hajipour allegedly paid Eghbali by transferring money from Iran to his U.S.-based bank accounts using third parties to conceal the transactions from U.S. regulators. The IEEPA and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR) prohibit such transactions without authorization from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

"Restrictions on exports and transactions with countries that are hostile to the United States, such as Iran, are critical to protecting our nation," said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. "Nothing is more important than protecting our country from foreign threats and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who undermine our national security."

If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison for IEEPA violations, 30 years for bank fraud, and 20 years for money laundering. The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of property traceable to the alleged offenses.

The FBI is investigating the case with support from Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Anna Boylan and Mark Takla, along with Trial Attorneys David J. Ryan and Leslie Esbrook, are prosecuting the case.