US citizen is jailed for 25 years for trying to buy hundreds of missiles for Iran after he claimed at trial that it was a 'sting operation' designed to expose the Middle Eastern state

  • Reza Olangian, 57, tried to buy 100 surface-to-air missiles and aircraft parts
  • He tried to arrange the deal with an undercover DEA agent in Europe in 2012
  • U.S. District Judge gave him the minimum sentence though life was asked for
  • Olangian had claimed it was a sting operation to expose Iran dodging sanctions

By Nic White For Mailonline and Reuters

Published: | Updated:

A dual citizen of Iran and the United States was sentenced on Wednesday to 25 years in prison after he was found guilty of trying to buy surface-to-air missiles and aircraft components for the government of Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions.

Reza Olangian was convicted by a jury in November 2016 after he was arrested at an airport in Tallinn, Estonia, on October 10, 2012, and extradited to the U.S.

The 57-year-old discussed buying 200 surface-to-air missiles and dozens of aircraft parts including for a Bell 412 helicopter, with an undercover DEA agent.

Iranian-U.S. dual citizen Reza Olangian, 57, has been jailed for 25 years for trying to buy missiles and aircraft components for the Iranian Government

Iranian-U.S. dual citizen Reza Olangian, 57, has been jailed for 25 years for trying to buy missiles and aircraft components for the Iranian Government

He intended for the gear to arrive through Iran, according to an August 2012 email providing initial payment details.

'I want to be at the exchange location for no MISHAPS,' the email said.

Olangian vowed to appeal his conviction, claiming at trial he was an opponent of the Iranian regime and the buy was an elaborate sting operation.

He said he wanted to prove Iran was trying to get around U.S. sanctions on arms deals - the very thing he was accused of helping it do.

The 57-year-old discussed buying 200 surface-to-air missiles and dozens of aircraft parts including for a Bell 412 helicopter, with an undercover DEA agent

The 57-year-old discussed buying 200 surface-to-air missiles and dozens of aircraft parts including for a Bell 412 helicopter, with an undercover DEA agent

Olangian was born in Iran, came to the United States as a student in 1979, became a U.S. citizen in 1999 and moved back to Iran in 2004, according to court filings.

U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska in Manhattan sentenced him to the minimum allowed for his crimes under federal law.

Prosecutors asked the judge to impose a sentence that was longer than the minimum, although short of the life sentence suggested by federal guidelines. Preska said she did not believe a longer sentence was necessary.

'I think Judge Preska saw that 25 years is an extraordinarily long time and that Mr. Olangian did not rise to the level of something as egregious as that,' Gregory Morvillo, Olangian's lawyer, said after the sentencing.

He was convicted by a jury in November 2016 after he was arrested at an airport in Tallinn, Estonia (pictured), on October 10, 2012, and extradited to the U.S

He was convicted by a jury in November 2016 after he was arrested at an airport in Tallinn, Estonia (pictured), on October 10, 2012, and extradited to the U.S

Prosecutors said in 2012, Olangian met in Ukraine with a DEA informant posing as a Russian weapons broker to arrange the deal.

He negotiated a deal involving 10 missiles and dozens of aircraft parts, and stated during a video conference with the informant that he ultimately wanted to acquire at least 200 missiles.

They said he aimed to make a substantial profit selling the weapons. 

Prosecutors said Olangian earlier tried and failed to buy 100 missiles for Iran in 2007.

Iran

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