Jacques Monsieur pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Mobile, Alabama. He was arrested in August and charged in a six-count indictment with conspiracy, money laundering, smuggling and violating the Arms Export Control Act and an embargo on trade with Iran.
"Monsieur, along with his co-conspirator (Dara) Fotouhi, are experienced arms dealers who have been actively working with the Iranian government to procure military items for the Iranian government," the Justice Department said in a statement.
In February, Monsieur contacted an undercover agent seeking engines for the F-5 fighter jet and the C-130 military transport aircraft for export to Iran, the statement said. Under the plan, the parts would be sent to Iran via Colombia and the United Arab Emirates.
The engines and parts are for aircraft the United States sold to Iran before the 1979 revolution, the Justice Department said. The engines and parts cannot be exported to Iran without licenses from the State and Treasury departments.
Monsieur faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.