Texans arrested in Iran funds investigation
Lawyer Blogs
A McAllen doctor and his attorney wife face arraignment Jan. 4 in Portland, Ore., after being charged with secretly sending more than $1.8 million to Iran in funds meant for a children's charity.
Dr. Hossein Lahiji, 47, and Najmeh Vahid, 35, were arrested Tuesday by the FBI in San Antonio on fraud and conspiracy charges related to violating the U.S. trade embargo on Iran, their homeland, the San Antonio Express-News reported Wednesday. The two were released on unsecured bonds.
The pair deny the allegations, linked to funds since 2001, and say the federal indictment announced last week in Portland is inaccurate.
Lahiji, a urologist, told the Express-News that the indictment places them in certain geographic areas when they were elsewhere.
"There are a lot of inconsistencies in (the indictment), and we hope to prove our innocence," said Vahid, a lawyer whose practice is based in San Antonio.
The charity, Child Foundation, and its leader, Mehrdad Yasrebi, struck a plea deal with prosecutors in Oregon to avoid formal indictment. Yasrebi admitted he funneled money that was meant for food and other assistance to a cousin and to a bank controlled by the Iranian government.
The Texas couple is accused of working through Iranian corporations and banks in Switzerland and Dubai. The indictment charges the couple with conspiring to defraud the government and conspiring to launder money by purporting to transfer charitable donations to Iran, while actually keeping control of the money. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison.
Related listings
-
Ernst & Young Said to Face Fraud Lawsuit Over Lehman Audits
Lawyer Blogs 12/20/2010Ernst & Young LLP may be sued for fraud as early as today by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo for allegedly helping Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. mislead investors, according to a person familiar with the matter. Cuomo will be sworn in as g...
-
Austrian bank strikes back at Madoff NY trustee .
Lawyer Blogs 12/19/2010An Austrian bank accuses the trustee recovering money for victims of Bernard Madoff's fraud of going after the bank and its principal shareholder as part of an "international witch-hunt."In a statement out of Vienna, 2020 Medici — formerly known as B...
-
Alaska high court considers disputed Senate race
Lawyer Blogs 12/17/2010Legal wrangling over Alaska's contested U.S. Senate race reached the state Supreme Court Friday, with justices hearing Republican Joe Miller's appeal of a lower court ruling that amounted to a victory for rival Lisa Murkowski.Miller is appealing a st...
Victorville CA DUI defense Attorneys
The outcome of a DUI defense will have a long-term effect on anyone’s life, making the decision to receive legal representation an easy one. The fact is, most people accused of a DUI are first offenders with no criminal background. Whether this is your first run in with the law or you have had previous convictions, you are in need of a DUI defense attorney.
The charges you are facing for a DUI range from fines, a 12-month suspension on your license and worst-case scenario, prison time. Your attorney will be able to analyze your situation to decide the best way to go about your case.
Our attorneys know the tricky ways to challenge all of the DUI tests and know how to claim improper collection of evidence. We will be able to negotiate on your behalf and free you from charges and help you keep your drivers license. The DUI process can last up to several months, we can make this process easier on you. .