Alabama Man Indicted for Bypassing US Sanctions on Iran to Sell Goods
An indictment was unsealed on Nov. 29 charging an Iranian man living in Alabama with federal offenses concerning the export of U.S.-origin goods to Iran, bypassing prevailing sanctions.
According to the 15-count indictment charges announced by the Justice Department, Ray Hunt—who also uses the names Abdolrahman Hantoosh, Rahman Hantoosh, and Rahman Natoosh—of Madison County, Alabama, allegedly smuggled goods from the United States through Turkey and the United Arab Emirates into Iran. He is accused of submitting false or misleading export information and defrauding the United States.
Hunt, 69, allegedly conspired to export American products used in the oil and gas industry, such as control valves and oil tubing, through his Alabama-based company, Vega Tools LLC, to customers in Iran since at least 2017. The products were routed through other countries to evade U.S. sanctions….