LOS ANGELES—A Dana Point man was sentenced Dec. 8 to 18 months behind bars for illegally sending computer servers to Iran.
Johnny Tourino, 68, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Josephine Staton to pay a $20,000 fine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Mr. Tourino pleaded guilty in March to a federal charge of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which controls and restricts the export of certain goods from the United States to foreign nations.
According to the indictment, from January 2014 through July 2017, Mr. Tourino, his company, Spectra, and at least two others purchased and sent computer servers to Iran without obtaining licenses from the U.S. government that are required under IEEPA. The computer servers were dual-use commercial goods, meaning they had both a commercial application and a military or strategic one.
The computers were regulated for anti-terrorism and national security reasons, federal prosecutors said.
Mr. Tourino told the manufacturer that the computer servers were going to be sent to Kuwait and Slovenia when he knew they were intended for Bank Mellat, an Iranian financial institution, evidence showed.
Under IEEPA, it is a crime to willfully export or attempt to export items to Iran without a license from the U.S. government. These are items authorities have determined could be detrimental to regional stability and national security.
