Morristown Woman Sold $2M In Airplane Parts To Iran: USAG

MORRISTOWN, NJ — A Morristown woman has been charged in connection with an international ring that smuggled $2 million worth of airplane parts to Iran, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said.

Joyce Eliabachus, 55, of Morristown, is accused of violating sanctions against Iran by using her home business to ship large quantities of aircraft parts to Iran, Carpenito said. She has been charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States.

According to Carpenito, Eliabachus operated Edsun Equipments LLC, an aviation parts company out of her Morristown home. The company was part of a network that bought large amounts of airplane parts in America and used freight forwarding companies to ship them to companies in Iran.

Between May 2015 and October 2017, Eliabachus's company allegedly sent 49 shipments with over 23,000 airplane parts to Iran without the proper licenses. Several of the airlines Eliabachus sold parts to are designated by the U.S. government as posing a threat to national security, Carpenito said.

“Eliabachus and others allegedly ran an international smuggling ring that shipped $2 million in aircraft parts to multiple Iranian airlines, including an airline that has provided financial, material, and technological support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” Carpenito said. “This arrest, which was made possible by a close collaboration between our office and its partners at Homeland Security Investigations and the Office of Export Enforcement, has snuffed out another source of funds and goods to overseas entities that may endanger our national and economic security.”

Violating sanctions against Iran carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Eliabachus is currently on home arrest on bond.

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