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Date: 12-27-2017
Case Style:
United States of America v. Ali Caby, a/k/a "Alex Caby," Arash Caby, a/k/a "Axel Caby," and Marjan Caby
Southern District of Florida Courthouse - Miami, Florida
Case Number: 1:16-cr-20803-BB
Judge: Beth Bloom
Court: United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida (Miami-Dade County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: Richardo Del Toro and Michael Thakur
Defendant's Attorney: Bill Barzee for Ali Caby
Marc Seitles of Arash Caby
Description: Miami, FL - Miami-Dade County Residents Sentenced for Conspiracy to Illegally Export Prohibited Articles to Syria in Violation of U.S. Export Control Laws
Three Miami-Dade residents were sentenced on Decembedr 20, 2017 for their roles in a conspiracy to defraud the United States and to illegally export aviation parts and equipment to Syria, contrary to comprehensive U.S. economic sanctions against Syria, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), Title 50, United States Code, Sections 1701-1706. The exports were sent to Syrian Arab Airlines, a/k/a “Syrian Air” (Syrian Air). Syrian Air had been designated as a Specially Designated National (SDN) by the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), meaning that U.S. persons and entities were prohibited from doing business with Syrian Air without a license.
Ali Caby, a/k/a “Alex Caby”, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Beth Bloom to 24 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. Co-defendant Arash Caby, a/k/a “Axel Caby”, 43, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release and a $10,000 fine. Co-defendant Marjan Caby, 34, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. The defendants had previously pled guilty to the charged conspiracy to violate IEEPA by exporting dual-use goods, that is, articles that have both civilian and military application, without a license to Syrian Air, the Syrian government’s airline, which is an entity designated and blocked by OFAC for transporting weapons and ammunition to Syria in conjunction with Hizballah, a terrorist organization, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Ali Caby ran the Bulgaria office of AW-Tronics, a Miami export company that was managed by Arash Caby, and which shipped and exported various aircraft parts and equipment to Syrian Arab Airlines. Ali Caby and Arash Caby closely supervised and encouraged subordinate employees of AW-Tronics in the willful exportation of the parts and equipment to SDN Syrian Air, whose activities have assisted the Syrian government’s violent crackdown on its people. Marjan Caby, as AW-Tronics’ export compliance officer and auditor, facilitated these exports by submitting false and misleading electronic export information to federal agencies.
Mr. Greenberg and Mr. Boente commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, DOC, Department of Homeland Security (HSI), Defense Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ricardo Del Toro and Michael Thakur and Trial Attorney Matthew Walczewski of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Outcome: Ali was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. Arash was sentenced to 24 months followed by two years of supervised release and fined $10,000. Marjan was sentenced to 12 months and one day.
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
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