Unsealed Federal Indictment Charges Iranian Businessman with Illegally Exporting Nuclear

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Newly Unsealed Federal Indictment Charges Iranian Businessman with Illegally Exporting Nuclear Nonproliferation-Controlled Materials from Illinois

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CHICAGO — An Iranian businessman schemed with the owner of a European company to illegally export nuclear nonproliferation-controlled materials to Iran from Illinois, according to a newly unsealed federal indictment.

SAEED VALADBAIGI, also known as “Saeed Valad” and “Saeed Baigi,” plotted in 2011 to illegally export U.S.-origin 7075 T6 Aluminum tubing from Illinois to Iran by way of Belgium and Malaysia, the indictment states. The size and type of the aluminum was used in the missile and aerospace industry and was subject to U.S. regulations for nuclear nonproliferation purposes, the indictment states. Valadbaigi’s smuggling plan was part of an effort to evade U.S. laws and export-control regulations, according to the charges.

The eight-count indictment was returned in 2016 in U.S. District Court in Chicago and ordered unsealed Wednesday. It charges Valadbaigi with three counts of wire fraud, two counts of attempting to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of illegally exporting articles from the United States, and one count of making false statements on a U.S. export form.

Valadbaigi, 56, of Iran, is considered a fugitive. A warrant for his arrest was issued in 2016 and remains outstanding.

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