Chemical Engineer Sentenced To Prison

A federal judge has sentenced chemical engineer Ali Amirnazmi to four years in prison for violating U.S. trade sanctions against Iran. A jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania convicted Amirnazmi in February 2009 of conspiracy, lying to federal authorities, and violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The government had charged that Amirnazmi, owner of Pennsylvania-based TranTech Consultants, sold several Iranian companies software designed to help locate the best prices for chemicals. In addition to the prison term, the judge ordered Amirnazmi to pay an $81,000 fine, forfeit $17,000 to a bank he defrauded, and serve five years of probation following his release from prison.