NEW YORK, NY – On Friday, Niloufar Bahadorifar, also known as “Nellie Bahadorifar,” was sentenced to four years in prison for conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by providing services, including financial services, to Iran and the Government of Iran, in violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran, and for structuring. Bahadorifar pleaded guilty on December 15, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams.
Bahadorifar, a U.S. citizen originally from Iran, provided financial and other services to Iranian residents and entities, including co-defendant Mahmoud Khazein. She provided financial services that supported a plot to kidnap an Iranian human rights activist living in the United States. In addition, Bahadorifar structured cash deposits totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. She was sentenced to three years of supervised release.