Where Industry and Security Intersect
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WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Commerce today imposed a $5000 civil penalty on Ali Mozaffari, a San Francisco businessman, and his company, Interlink Computer Technology Inc., for violating the embargo against Iran, Commerce Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement F. Amanda DeBusk announced.
The Department of Commerce also denied the export privileges of Mozaffari and his company for five years, which was suspended. Today's civil settlement follows a criminal sentencing last week by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, which imposed a $30,000 criminal penalty on Interlink following its guilty plea to violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
The Department said Mozaffari, doing business as Interlink, attempted to ship computer goods to to Iran via Germany in September 1996 in violation of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The United States Government maintains a comprehensive economic sanctions program against the Government of Iran, which prohibits virtually all commercial transactions involving U.S.-origin goods or U.S. persons, or both, with the Government of Iran, unless specifically authorized.
The guilty plea and the criminal and administrative fines and penalties were the result of a three-year joint investigation by BXA's San Jose Office of Export Enforcement, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of California and the U.S. Customs Service in San Jose, Calif.
The Department of Commerce, through its Bureau of Export Administration, administers and enforces export controls for reasons of national security, foreign policy, nonproliferation and short supply. Criminal penalties, as well as administrative sanctions, can be imposed for violations of the Regulations.
In April of 2002 the Bureau of Export Administration (BXA) changed its name to the Bureau of Industry and Security(BIS). For historical purposes we have not changed the references to BXA in the legacy documents found in the Archived Press and Public Information.