WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Office of Export Enforcement (OEE) Director John Sonderman issued an Administrative Charging Letter against Mohammad Alhamra and his company WEBS Electronics Trading Company LLC (WEBS). The Charging Letter alleges violations of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) related to exports of U.S. telecommunications equipment and related commodities to Syria and Iran and misrepresentations and concealment of facts to BIS officials regarding these exports.

“Export controls on Syria and Iran are among the most restrictive that we enforce because their governments support terrorism, commit human rights abuses, and destabilize regional security,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce Matthew S. Axelrod. “Today’s actions demonstrate the unique authorities of BIS to identify, investigate, and seek administrative sanctions on illegal exports to Syria and Iran.”

As alleged in the Charging Letter, OEE launched an investigation after a BIS Export Control Officer (ECO) learned that WEBS and its owner, Mohammad Alhamra, were attempting to reexport U.S.-origin items from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Syria and conducted end-use checks. The items include, but are not limited to, routers, services gateways, serial device servers, networkable door controllers, server racks, interface cards, and IP phones. The investigation subsequently determined that Alhamra and WEBS attempted to reexport items from the UAE to Syria on two occasions and did reexport items from the UAE to Syria and Iran on 11 occasions without the required BIS licenses. Alhamra also provided false or misleading information about reexports to Syria to the ECO. The Charging Letter sets forth 14 violations by Alhamra and WEBS involving these activities. Under the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. §§ 4801-4852), among possible administrative sanctions, administrative monetary penalties can reach up to $330,947 per violation or twice the value of the transaction, whichever is greater. The full Charging Letter is available online here (link).

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:

Report suspected export control violations through the BIS online tip portal. You can also call the Enforcement Hotline at 1-800-424-2980 or email [email protected].

These BIS actions were taken under the authority of the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 and its implementing regulations, the EAR. BIS controls exports and reexports of dual-use commodities, technology and software for reasons of national security, missile technology, nuclear non-proliferation, chemical and biological non-proliferation, crime control and regional stability.

Criminal and administrative sanctions can be imposed for violations of the EAR. For more information, please visit: https://www.bis.gov/enforcement.

A Charging Letter is merely the means by which administrative enforcement proceedings are initiated pursuant to the EAR, and the respondent is entitled to contest the violations and allegations therein, as part of the adjudicative procedures set forth in Part 766 of the Regulations. Administrative enforcement proceedings under the EAR currently are adjudicated by administrative law judges employed by the U.S. Coast Guard