An Iranian-American entrepreneur who bought a $35 million Newport Beach mansion now faces federal charges accusing him of exporting U.S.-origin computer networking gear to Iran, allegedly supporting the regime’s military and nuclear programs while hiding the activity through front companies and elaborate shipping schemes.
An indictment unsealed this week names Jamshid Ghomi, 63, of Newport Coast, charging him with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Federal authorities say he ran a network of companies that sold networking equipment to Iranian entities, then took steps to hide the shipments and omit his name from paperwork. The Department of Justice asserts those sales reached sensitive end users inside Iran, including military and nuclear establishments.
Jamshid Ghomi, 63, of Newport Coast, is charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Ghomi is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana.
“Ghomi is accused of aiding our declared enemies by selling U.S.-origin computer networking parts to Iran and earning millions of dollars in violation of U.S. sanction laws,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Our nation’s laws prohibiting doing business with one of the world’s largest state sponsors of terrorism must be enforced and obeyed. We will hold him accountable by seeking an appropriate prison sentence and by seizing his assets, including his $35 million Newport Beach mansion.”
According to the complaint, Ghomi’s business activities generated annual sales above $10 million, with hundreds of Iranian companies and government bodies among his clients. Officials say some of those sales went to the most sensitive corners of Iran’s industrial and military apparatus. Investigators allege Ghomi used United Arab Emirates front companies to obscure the ultimate destination and end users of the gear.
The DOJ narrative details deliberate concealment tactics: instructing associates to keep his name off shipping documents, removing invoices from shipments bound for Iran, and embedding U.S.-origin equipment within larger consignments to hide the true contents. Prosecutors also allege he personally received warnings that exporting those goods to Iran was prohibited yet continued the trade. Those steps, the complaint says, show knowledge and intent.
https://x.com/DAGToddBlanche/status/2062206388739215654
Today, Jamshid Ghomi, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen who lives in a $35 million mansion in Orange County, California, was arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging him with selling computer technology to Iranian companies and Iran’s government — including technology to help with Iran’s military and nuclear program.
These allegations assert that the defendant violated U.S. sanctions against Iran, aided one of our nation’s enemies, supported Iran’s nuclear program, and got rich doing it. Not only is he being arrested today, but we also are beginning the process of seizing his mansion, which was purchased with his illegal proceeds. Thanks to the work of @USAttyEssayli ’s office, @CommerceGov, and @IRS_CI ’s Los Angeles Field Office, he will face the full force of justice.
Federal agents executed a search and arrest in Southern California, and the government moved to seize assets purchased with alleged illegal proceeds, naming the Newport Beach property specifically. Prosecutors say the mansion will be part of civil forfeiture efforts tied to the criminal case. If convicted on the charges outlined, Ghomi faces up to 20 years in prison on the principal count and other potential penalties under related investigations.
Beyond the export-related counts, investigators are probing financial crimes tied to the scheme, including potential money laundering and tax offenses. The complaint describes complex money flows that prosecutors view as designed to disguise the origin and use of funds. That work could expand the case into additional charges as agents follow financial records and international transfers.
Internal messages cited in the complaint reportedly referred to Iran as “Motherland” when discussing procurement and distribution of equipment, an element prosecutors highlight as evidence of allegiance. The alleged coordination with UAE-based intermediaries is central to the government’s theory that Ghomi knowingly avoided U.S. export controls. Those facts form the backbone of the conspiracy charge now before the court.
Legal proceedings will now unfold in federal court in Santa Ana, where Ghomi is expected to make his initial appearance. The Justice Department emphasized enforcement of sanctions law and the intent to secure an appropriate sentence while pursuing asset forfeiture. This case demonstrates the tools federal prosecutors can use to disrupt networks that move sensitive technology to hostile states.
From a Republican perspective, the arrest underscores a broader point about national security and enforcement: when private actors allegedly supply hostile regimes with critical technologies, the consequences must be firm and public. Protecting American security means stopping illegal transfers and holding wealthy individuals accountable when they exploit legal gaps to fund foreign adversaries.
As the case develops, investigators will likely continue to trace shipments, communications, and financial records to establish the full scope of the alleged operation. The defendant’s next court appearances and any subsequent indictments or plea offers will reveal how strongly prosecutors can tie the sales and concealment efforts to explicit support for Iran’s sanctioned programs. Meanwhile, the property in Newport Beach remains subject to the government’s seizure motion as litigation proceeds.
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