25 Years Imprisonment for Iranian-American for Attempting to Send Missiles to Iran

A federal court in Manhattan, New York, sentenced an Iranian-American man to 25 years in prison for attempting to purchase surface-to-air missiles and aircraft parts with the intent to send them to Iran. According to Reuters, Loretta Preska, a federal judge in Manhattan, found Reza Olangian, 57, guilty of the charges. The report adds that Reza Olangian was sentenced to the minimum possible punishment under federal law. Prosecutors sought a sentence longer than the minimum for Olangian, but Judge Preska stated that a longer sentence was not necessary. However, Olangian's defense attorneys have indicated they will appeal the federal court's ruling. According to Reuters, Olangian moved to the U.S. in 1979 and obtained citizenship in 1999, but was arrested in Estonia in 2012 and extradited to the U.S. The report states that this Iranian-American citizen was caught in a U.S. drug enforcement sting. Reuters notes that Olangian met with a U.S. drug enforcement informant posing as a Russian arms dealer in Ukraine to purchase surface-to-air missiles and various parts for military aircraft. In intercepted conversations and emails between the two, Olangian expressed his intention to export these weapons to Iran. Prosecutors in New York stated that this Iranian-American initially sought to buy ten surface-to-air missiles and dozens of parts for military aircraft, later claiming he would buy at least 200 missiles. According to New York prosecutors, Olangian had also attempted to purchase 100 missiles in 2007 with the aim of sending them to Iran for substantial financial gain. Meanwhile, Olangian's attorney claimed that he intended to 'trap the Iranian government with a paper contract to show what they are really about.'