The CEO of Global Metallurgy LLC Erdal Kuyumcu pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to export a specialty metal from the United States to Iran, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
This action violated the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which authorizes the president to regulate commerce when a state of national emergency is declared due to a significant national security threat.
The metallic powder that Kuyumcu sought to export was composed of cobalt and nickel. It can be used to coat gas turbine components such as turbine blades, aerospace missiles, and nuclear applications.
These types of metals are regulated by the U.S. Department of Commerce in order to avoid nuclear proliferation and enhance national security.
Kuyumcu attempted to get over 1,000 pounds of this metal substance to Iran by having it flown first to Turkey. He hoped to avoid detection this way.
Chief U.S. District Judge Dora L. Irizarry of the Eastern District of New York, where Kuyumcu’s company was based, gave Kuyumcu a 20-year sentence to prison and a $1 million fine.
