Major Export Enforcement Cases - Directorate of Defense Trade ...

contracts. Swiss Tech was under contract with the Department of Defense to manufacture
components for the M249 machine gun. In order to lower its manufacturing costs, Swiss Tech
sent defense articles, including specification drawings and parts samples, to a company in the
People’s Republic of China so that the Chinese company could make these machine gun
components for Swiss Tech. Swiss Tech did not have the required State Department license for
exports of these munitions to China. After receiving the components from the Chinese company,
Swiss Tech then shipped the defense articles and other parts to the Department of Defense,
purporting that the defense articles were made by Swiss Tech in conformance with its contract.
Among other things, Swiss Tech illegally exported to China specifications for the production of
M249 machine gun parts, as well as components for the M249 machine gun, and M16 or M4
rifle. This investigation was conducted by DCIS and ICE.
Firearms to Nigeria – On July 11, 2011, Boniface Ibe was sentenced in the District of Maryland
to five months in prison followed by 10 months of supervised release for illegally exporting
shotguns, a handgun and ammunition to Nigeria without a license, and for delivering a firearm to
a common carrier without notice. Ibe attempted to export these items to Nigeria concealed in a
vehicle that was in a shipping container. The container and weapons were intercepted at the Port
of Baltimore on Sept. 22, 2010. The investigation was conducted by ICE, CBP, and ATF.
Vacuum Pumps With Potential Sensitive Applications to Iran -- On July 6, 2011, in the Central
District of California, Jirair Avanessian, of Glendale, California, was sentenced to serve 18
months in prison in connection with his role in a conspiracy to violate International Emergency
Economic Powers Act and the Iranian trade embargo, including smuggling, money laundering
and other crimes. Avanessian also must pay a $10,000 fine and forfeit the proceeds of his
criminal activity. Avanessian was indicted on Dec. 30, 2009 and arrested in January 2010. He
pled guilty in July 2010. Another individual involved in the conspiracy, Amirhossein Sairafi, of
Iran, was arrested in January 2010 in Frankfurt, Germany by German law enforcement authorities
based on a provisional arrest warrant from the United States. Sairafi was later extradited to the
United States in September 2010, pled guilty on Nov. 30, 2010, and was sentenced to 41 months
in March of this year in connection with the scheme. Sairafi was first charged in a Jan. 4, 2010
criminal complaint. Avanessian, who was born in Iran, is the owner and operator of XVAC, a
company located in California. Avanessian corresponded with Sairafi and another individual in
Iran, Farhad Masoumian, via e-mail over several years to arrange the export of high-dollar
vacuum pumps and pump-related equipment to Iran through a free trade zone located in the
United Arab Emirates. The vacuum pumps and related equipment at issue have a number of
applications, including in the enrichment of uranium. Avanessian purchased and arranged to ship
the goods ordered by Masoumian to the United Arab Emirates, making it appear that the U.A.E.
was the ultimate destination. Sairafi would then send the same goods from the location in the
U.A.E. to Iran. As part of the conspiracy, Masoumian, Avanessian and Sairafi re-labeled and
undervalued the contents of the shipments in order to mask the true contents and to avoid
interception by U.S. officials. In most cases, Avanessian prepared air waybills indicating his
shipments contained "spare parts" and that no shipper's export declaration was needed. Between
December 2007 and November 2008, there were at least seven shipments containing vacuum
pump equipment purchased and exported by Avanessian at Masoumian’s request. The
investigation continues as Masoumian remains at large and is believed to be in Iran. This case
was the product of an investigation by the Export and Anti-proliferation Global Law Enforcement
(EAGLE) Task Force in the Central District of California, which includes the FBI, ICE, BIS,
CBP, Diplomatic Security Service and the Transportation Security Administration.
Firearms to Mexico – On July 1, 2011, Avaro Hernan Ramirez was sentenced to 41 months in
prison, followed by three years supervised release, for conspiracy to possess a machine gun and
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