(Associated Press) – The case against an Iranian-American man accused of helping Iran launch its first satellite may sound like a James Bond movie but it’s a real life drama, a prosecutor said Tuesday as trial opened.
Nader Modanlo, 52, is accused of brokering a deal to help Iran launch the earth observation satellite from Russia. Prosecutors say the Maryland resident violated a trade embargo the United States has had against the Middle Eastern country since the mid-1990s and that he was paid $10 million for his assistance.
“The case you’re about to hear is not a movie script,” prosecutor David Salem told jurors in opening statements Tuesday in federal court in Greenbelt.
Salem said Modanlo knew about the trade embargo but was in financial trouble. He said helping the Iranians was a “Hail Mary pass.” Salem also acknowledged that the case is not a simple one, not a bank robbery case caught on camera, and involves many documents.
