A high-profile arrest in California has drawn attention after a tech executive was detained from his $35 million Newport Beach mansion, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, according to a report in The Times of India.
Authorities say the accused, 63-year-old Jamshid Ghomi, a dual Iranian-American national, was taken into custody at his luxury property and charged over a long-running illegal export operation involving sensitive US technology allegedly routed to Iran.
What has further intensified scrutiny is that his personal tax filings reportedly showed almost no income, despite investigators linking him to millions in international transactions and large-scale business operations.
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Income records raise major red flags
One of the most unusual aspects highlighted by investigators is Ghomi’s declared tax history. The financial records show:
Highest reported annual income: $20,684
Claimed Earned Income Tax Credit in seven separate years
No declared wealth matching alleged global operations
This sharp mismatch between declared earnings and alleged financial activity is now a key focus of the investigation.
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Who is Jamshid Ghomi?
Ghomi is described as a California-based tech executive who allegedly ran a global supply chain operation through his company, Faraz Pardaz Rayaneh (FPR). According to the US Justice Department, Jamshid Ghomi is the CEO of an Iran-based technology company
According to US authorities, the firm functioned for years as a channel for advanced networking and encryption equipment, with alleged links to Iran’s defence and nuclear ecosystem.
“Ghomi is accused of aiding our declared enemies by selling U.S.-origin computer networking parts to Iran and earning millions of dollars in violation of U.S. sanction laws,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. "We will hold him accountable by seeking an appropriate prison sentence and by seizing his assets, including his $35 million Newport Beach mansion.”
Alleged decade-long smuggling network
Prosecutors claim Ghomi operated a complex international system spanning more than a decade, using intermediaries and layered transactions to move restricted technology. Ghomi spent years exploiting United States financial systems and procurement channels to move controlled equipment to Iran while hiding his activities behind front companies and falsified documentation,” said Darren Lian, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation’s Los Angeles Field Office.
Key allegations include:
Use of middlemen in the UAE to route shipments
Over 400 transactions via eBay and PayPal between 2011 and 2015
More than 250 metric tonnes of networking equipment allegedly smuggled into Iran (2014–2018)
Freight forwarding routes based in Dubai used for shipping logistics
Authorities say the equipment ultimately reached Iran’s military and nuclear-linked institutions.
Links to defence and nuclear institutions
Investigators allege that FPR supplied:
Iran’s Ministry of Defence (2014–2022)
Iran’s nuclear agency (2017–2023)
The case becomes more striking given that Iran’s atomic agency was sanctioned by the US in 2020, yet later allegedly registered FPR as an approved vendor in 2021 and 2022.
Millions moved through global shell network
US prosecutors also allege a parallel financial laundering system. According to the case details:
Over $15 million was moved from Iran into US accounts
Funds were falsely declared as “foreign inheritance”
Money allegedly routed through shell companies in:
British Virgin Islands
Hong Kong
Turkey
UAE
Investigators say more than $7 million in foreign transfers linked to FPR were used in constructing Ghomi’s Newport Beach mansion. The property itself was built after he purchased a vacant lot for $4.49 million in 2010 and later spent about $10.49 million on construction.
Court appearance and possible sentence
Ghomi is scheduled to appear in court in Santa Ana, Orange County. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
The case continues to unfold as investigators examine the scale of the alleged technology transfer network, financial laundering routes, and long-term supply chain operations spanning multiple countries.
