South OC Man Who Sent Computers To Iran Illegally Sentenced

DANA POINT, CA — A south Orange County man was sentenced Friday to 18 months behind bars for illegally sending computers to Iran.

Dana Point resident Johnny Tourino, 68, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Josephine Staton to pay a $20,000 fine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The defendant pleaded guilty in March to a federal charge of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, an act that controls and restricts the export of certain goods from the United States to foreign countries.

According to the federal indictment, from Jan. 2014 through July 2017, Tourino, along with his company, Spectra, and at least two others purchased and sent servers to Iran without getting licenses that are required under IEEPA.

The computer servers were dual-use commercial goods, meaning they had a commercial use as well as a military or strategic one.

The computers were regulated for anti-terrorism and national security reasons, federal prosecutors said.

Tourino told the manufacturer that the computer servers were going to be sent to Kuwait and Slovenia when he knew they were intended for Bank Mellat, an Iranian financial institution, evidence showed.

Under IEEPA, it is a crime to willfully export or attempt to export items to Iran without a license from the U.S. government. These are items authorities have determined could be detrimental to regional stability and national security.