Grand jury adds charges vs Irish co for Iran trade

AP – A federal grand jury has charged Irish trading company Mac Aviation Group and its officers Thomas and Sean McGuinn with purchasing F-5 fighter aircraft parts, helicopter engines and other components from U.S. firms and illegally exporting them to Iran.

The government filed a 27-count indictment that superseded a sealed 25-count indictment that was filed in July 2008.

The original charges included two counts of conspiracy, 19 counts of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and Iranian Transactions Regulations, four counts of false statements, and forfeiture allegations.

Those charges were unsealed in March 2009.

Two additional counts pertain to Mac Aviation and Tom McGuinn's procurement of F-5 parts and their export to Iran, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act.

If convicted, the defendants face many decades in prison.