They are reporting that Helmut Oertmann, of Deer Lake, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Hetran Incorporated, illegally sold a lathe to Iran.
An overseas sales representative for the company, Suniel Malhotra, has also been charged
According to U.S. Attorney Peter Smith, Hetran allegedly manufactured a horizontal lathe, valued at more than $800,000 and weighing in excess of 50,000 pounds. A horizontal lathe is used in the production of high grade steel.
According to the Press Release,
On or about June 2009, Hetran was allegedly contacted by representatives of FIMCO, an Iranian company with offices in Iran and the United Arab Emirates, and Crescent International, an affiliated company based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. FIMCO allegedly wanted to purchase the peeler. During negotiations, it became apparent that the peeler was intended for shipment to Iran. American companies are forbidden to ship “dual use” items (such as the peeler) to Iran without first obtaining a license from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Aware that it was unlikely that such a license would be granted, Hetran, Helmut Oertmann and other co-conspirators agreed to falsely state on the shipping documents that the end-user of the peeler was Crescent International in Dubai.
On June 17, 2012, Hetran allegedly caused the peeling machine to be shipped to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, fraudulently listing Crescent International in Dubai as the end-user, knowing that the shipment was ultimately being sent to Iran in violation of federal law.
Hetran is charged with conspiring to violate the export laws of the United States, and is subject to a sentence of up to $1,000,000. Helmut Oertmann, charged with attempting to smuggle goods from the United States to Iran, faces a potential penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to 5 years supervised release. The Iranian and Indian defendants are charged with conspiring to violate and with attempting to violate the export laws of the United States, each carrying potential penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to 5 years supervised release for the individual defendants and a $1,000,000 fine for each corporate defendant.
The case was investigated by the Office of Export Enforcement of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The prosecution is being coordinated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Fawcett and Senior Litigation Counsel Gordon Zubrod and is being overseen by the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Link to Press Release from Department of Justice Website
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/April/14-nsd-421.html