Nevada shipper settles charges for illegal exports to Iran
Ebara International Corp., based in Sparks, Nev., has agreed to pay a $121,000 civil penalty and accepted a three-year suspension of export privileges to settle charges of illegally exporting pumps to Iran.
In a related criminal case, the company, a subsidiary of Ebara Corp. in Tokyo, pled guilty on Sept. 23 to seven felonies, including conspiracy, unauthorized exports in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and money laundering. The company agreed to pay a $6.3 million criminal fine and accepted three years of corporate probation for its role in the illegal sales and exports to Iran.
Everett Hylton, Ebara International Corp.’s founder and chief executive officer, agreed to a $99,000 civil penalty and accepted a three-year suspended denial of export privileges to settle administrative charges brought against him by the Commerce Department’s Bureau Industry and Security. In a related criminal case, Hylton pled guilty to conspiracy to making false statements and agreed to a $10,000 criminal fine and three years of probation.
According to the Commerce Department, Ebara International, Hylton and co-conspirators sold the pumps to France and then forwarded them on to Iran. The United States maintains a comprehensive trade embargo prohibiting U.S. exports to Iran.