A Bel Air resident was locked up today following a federal indictment for a scheme that allegedly broke U.S. sanctions on Iran by managing the delivery of about $2.4 million in gift cards to the country, authorities said. Kambiz Eghbali, who also goes by "Cameron Eghbali," a 50-year-old with dual citizenship in the U.S. and Iran, faces charges under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) along with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California.
Two Iranian nationals, Hamid Hajipour and Babak Bahizad, are co-defendants in the case, but they currently remain at large, Eghbali's role was to act as a middleman, providing the gift cards through his North Hills-based business which falsely purported to be a videogame wholesaler and distributor. These cards were then used by Bahizad for his gaming company in Iran, and by Hajipour for his mobile software application service, with the payments funneled through third-party banks to dodge U.S. regulators.
“Restrictions on exports and transactions with countries that are hostile to the United States, such as Iran, are critical to protecting our nation,” stated U.S. 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.” The IEEPA and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR) are at the core of these restrictions, aiming to prevent the provision of services and goods to Iran without the U.S. government's explicit consent.
If found guilty, the charges could land him up to 20 years for IEEPA violations, 30 years for bank fraud, and another 20 years for money laundering, along with the forfeiture of any assets tied to the offenses, the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California details. The prosecution is being led by both the U.S. Attorney's Office and the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, reflecting the gravity of the charges.
