News

Three Iranians living in Texas were indicted by a federal grand jury in Portland for illegally funneling money to Iran, U.S. District Court officials said today.

Hossein Lahiji, 47, of McAllen, Texas, Najmeh Vahid, 35, of San Antonio, Texas and Ahmad Iranshahi, 53, of Tehran, Iran, were indicted for conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

In a news release, federal officials said the three transferred Lahiji’s and Vahid’s purported donations totalling more than $1.8 million to the Portland charity the Child Foundation, investing the funds in Iran in violation of the U.S.’s Iranian embargo.