Ontario looking at closing ‘loophole’ after brothers convicted of Iran sanctions violations change names

The Ontario government is looking into reforming its sanction alteration strategy aft brothers convicted successful the U.S. of helping Iran evade sanctions were capable to legally adopt caller identities successful the province.

“The quality to alteration one’s sanction should not beryllium a loophole for evading justice,” said Matthew D’Amico, spokesperson for Todd McCarthy, the curate liable for the sanction alteration registry.

“Allowing superior transgression offenders to conceal their identities not lone undermines the integrity of our justness strategy but besides poses a important hazard to our communities.”

On Wednesday, Global News reported that Ontario had allowed Amin and Arash Yousefijam to alteration their names conscionable months aft they were sentenced successful Michigan for a sanctions evasion scheme.

The state approved their caller identities arsenic Ameen and Aurash Cohen successful April 2022, though they were inactive serving retired portion of their sentences and Canada was trying to deport 1 of the brothers.

Using his caller name, Arash Yousefijam, 36, became a dentist and went to enactment successful Ottawa arsenic Dr. Aurash Cohen. The Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario said it was looking into the matter.

His brother, 37, got a occupation arsenic a fiscal compliance serviceman astatine an planetary institution successful Richmond Hill, Ont. Property records amusement an Ameen Cohen bought a location successful the metropolis successful 2022.

Responding Friday to questions astir the case, D’Amico said successful a connection the state would beryllium looking into ways to forestall those convicted of superior crimes from taking connected caller identities.

“We volition beryllium exploring options to prohibit individuals blameworthy of superior Criminal Code offences and planetary sanctions violations, including terrorism-related crimes, from legally changing their names,” helium said.

“While we undertake this work, we besides request the national authorities to adjacent gaps successful the migration strategy that let individuals with transgression backgrounds and sanctions into Canada.”

The contented arose arsenic Canada is utilizing sanctions to incorporate Iran arsenic it tries to destabilize the Middle East and pb an “axis of resistance” that includes panic groups Hamas, Hezbollah and the Yemeni Houthis.

The Immigration and Refugee Board was scheduled to statesman a deportation proceeding for Amin Yousefijam connected Oct. 28, connected the grounds helium is simply a information to the information of Canada.

Details astir the brothers’ sanction changes were contained successful hundreds of pages of nationalist documents the Canada Border Services Agency entered arsenic exhibits successful the case.

The CBSA is arguing that, by illegally shipping delicate manufacturing instrumentality to Iran, Amin Yousefijam undermined Canada’s efforts to incorporate the menace posed by the regime.

He contributed to “an accrued information menace towards Canada successful regards to coercion and onslaught by atomic weapons,” CBSA wrote successful its report.

“Mr. Yousefijam’s activities straight compromised the efforts of the Canadian authorities with respect to its overseas argumentation goals vis-a-vis Iran.”

Although his lawyers tried to prohibition the property from his deportation hearing, Global News fought the exertion and won. They declined to comment. Nor did Arash Yousefijam respond to questions.

But successful an earlier telephone call, helium described his U.S. condemnation for sanctions evasion arsenic “just immoderate ineligible issues that I had,” and said the brothers changed their names due to the fact that “we privation to commencement a caller life.”

Ontario tribunal records amusement that CIBC filed a instrumentality suit against him connected July 11, alleging helium owed them for a $358,006 idiosyncratic enactment of recognition and had failed to marque the minimum payments.

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According to a study released this week, Canada has go an “appealing target” for procurement networks that assistance Iran evade planetary sanctions.

“Canada’s attack towards Iran and its proxies showcases some vigilance and inconsistencies,” said the study by the George Washington University’s Program connected Extremism.

“On 1 hand, the state has implemented robust measures, including designating Iran arsenic a authorities protagonist of coercion and imposing important sanctions connected galore Iranian individuals and entities.”

“However, the persistent beingness of high-level individuals and the power of Iranian networks wrong the state uncover a definite grade of permissiveness,” said the report, Propaganda, Procurement and Lethal Operations: Iran’s Activities Inside America.

The Yousefijams immigrated to Canada from Iran. Arash Yousefijam arrived first, and his member came 3 years later, successful July 2016, nether the Skilled Workers Program.

In April 2020, the U.S. filed a sealed indictment against them, alleging they were utilizing beforehand companies to acquisition delicate goods for Iran.

Arash Yousefijam was arrested erstwhile helium flew from Toronto to North Carolina successful December 2020. Acting connected a U.S. extradition request, the Toronto Police Fugitive Squad arrested Amin Yousefijam connected Jan. 21, 2021.

Both pleaded blameworthy to what the U.S. called “deeply disturbing” allegations. Prosecutors asked for a “significant condemnation of imprisonment” for Amin Yousefijam.

“The defendant’s knowing and intentional behaviour present undermined the U.S. sanctions authorities and threatened the information of the United States by supporting a authorities sponsor of terrorism,” they argued.

They were sentenced to clip served, positive a twelvemonth of supervised released. U.S. migration authorities past removed them backmost to Canada, wherever they rapidly changed their names.

After they changed their names, Yousefijam wrote to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada asking for a caller imperishable resident’s paper arsenic Ameen Cohen, records show.

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