A 71-year-old Alabama man has been sentenced for conspiring to violate U.S. trade sanctions by exporting goods to Iran. Ray Hunt, also known as Abdolrahman Hantoosh, Rahman Hantoosh, and Rahman Natooshas, pleaded guilty in July 2024 to violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
According to court documents, Hunt, operating under the business name Vega Tools, LLC, conspired with two Iranian companies to illegally export U.S.-manufactured industrial equipment to Iran’s oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. These activities began as early as 2015 and continued until his arrest in November 2022.
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To evade U.S. authorities, Hunt employed deceptive tactics such as using third-party shipping companies in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, routing payments through foreign banks, and providing false information to shipping companies and customs officials.
U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama emphasized that “those who violate our national security laws will be held accountable.”
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The case was investigated by the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) with assistance from the FBI.
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