Authorities say Ghomi knew he was violating the law, as he took steps to conceal his actions. He told people in the UAE to remove his name from paperwork and not include invoices from ships to Iran. Ghomi also reportedly hid U.S. equipment inside larger shipments on at least two occasions. He also used funds from his scheme to pay for the construction of his Orange County mansion. A vacant Newport Coast lot cost almost $4.5 million, with another $10.4 million for construction, authorities said.
The long-simmering conflict between the United States and Iran flared into a war with the February joint operation involving American and Israeli strikes on Iranian military, government and nuclear facilities. The war led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil supply travels.
