Overview
- A federal jury in Boston convicted Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi on Monday of one count of conspiracy and two counts of violating U.S. export‑control and sanctions laws for funneling U.S. electronic components to Iran.
- Prosecutors say Sadeghi helped an Iran‑linked businessman use a Switzerland company called Illumove to obtain accelerometers, gyroscopes and inertial sensors for SDRA’s Sepehr navigation system, which U.S. officials tie to the IRGC’s drone program.
- The court barred prosecutors from showing direct evidence linking Sadeghi to the Jan. 28, 2024 drone attack in Jordan that killed three U.S. service members, so the trial focused on documents, messages and procurement records that prosecutors say show the export scheme.
- Sadeghi, a 43‑year‑old former Analog Devices employee who lost his job after his arrest, remains free on pre‑sentencing release and faces sentencing on Oct. 13 with each count carrying up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $1 million.
- The case was brought under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations and underscores U.S. scrutiny of complex transnational evasion tactics that use front companies and commercial supply chains to move dual‑use technology.