On June 13, 2014 Vahid Hosseini, a naturalized American citizen born in Iran, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to charges of money laundering and conspiracy to violate the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by exporting goods from the United States to Iran without a license. From at least as early as January 2008 until July 2013, Hosseini ordered various items from American companies and had them delivered to his Reston, Virginia home, where he ran a business named Sabern Instruments. Hosseini then repackaged the goods and shipped them to Iranian entities via two companies based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to U.S. authorities, Hosseini ordered over $250,000 worth of goods from over 60 U.S. manufacturers, including tachometers, power supply instruments, high-temperature probes, conductivity cells, and closed valves. These items have a variety of commercial applications, including in power plants.

In addition to Sabern Instruments, Hosseini also served as president of NDT Co., a Tehran-based firm which he partly manages and operates from the United States. Hosseini was in regular contact with NDT Co. to provide purchase orders, quotes, and invoices for goods purchased by Sabern Instruments for sale in Iran through NDT Co. In June 2013, Hosseini became the authorized Middle East representative and distributor for a California-based company that manufactures industrial testing equipment for the petrochemical, aerospace, power generation, and automotive industries. From 2008 to 2012, Hosseini purchased about $48,000 worth of goods from this company for export to Iran. Hosseini also purchased gas mass flow controllers supplied by an Indiana-based firm on the request of Rad Paya, an industrial machinery and equipment wholesaler located in Mashhad, Iran.

Hosseini received the proceeds of his illegal exports via wire transfer from Kashkol International Trading LLC in the UAE to his Sabern Instruments business account in Virginia. Kashkol International Trading has branches in both the UAE and Iran.

Hosseini, 62, pled guilty on March 6, 2014. In addition to his prison term, Hosseini also agreed to forfeit $50,000 as part of his plea agreement.