Houston Business Raided In Federal Probe Of Exports To Iran

According to the indictment, officials said, Mechanic and Afghahi are co-owners of Iran-based Faratel and its Houston-based sister company, Smart Power Systems. Faratel allegedly designs and builds uninterruptible power supplies for various Iranian entities, including Iranian government agencies such as the Iranian Ministry of Defense, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and the Iranian Centrifuge Technology Company, according to the charges. Officials said these commodities are frequently used in a wide range of military systems, including surface-air and cruise missiles. Since about July 2010, Mechanic's network allegedly sent at least $24 million worth of commodities to Iran. According to court documents, officials said, Mechanic, assisted by Afghahi and Faridi, regularly received lists of commodities, including U.S.-origin microelectronics, sought by Faratel in Iran.