Oʻahu man pleads guilty to illegal money transfer to Iran

A Waialua, Oʻahu, man pleaded guilty to illegally transferring more than $150,000 to Iran in violation of US sanctions, federal prosecutors announced.

Arash Einolghozati, 37, pleaded guilty July 13 in federal court to transferring funds from the United States to Iran without a license, US Attorney Kenneth Sorenson said. A sentencing date is set for Oct. 29. 

According to court records cited by prosecutors, Einolghozati carried out multiple money transfers from March 2017 through at least April 2022, sending both government-issued currency and cryptocurrency to recipients he knew were in Iran or who would forward the funds to individuals there. Prosecutors said Einolghozati knew he lacked the required license from the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control but transferred the funds anyway. Under the terms of his plea agreement, he admitted sending more than $150,000 to Iran in violation of US sanctions.

Einolghozati faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million and up to three years of supervised release, prosecutors said.

The FBI investigated the case. Assistant US Attorney Michael Albanese is prosecuting it.