United States and United Arab Emirates Disrupt Large Scale Currency Exchange Network Transferring Millions of Dollars to the IRGC-QF

MAY 10, 2018

Washington – Today the United States and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) jointly took action to disrupt an extensive currency exchange network in Iran and the UAE that has procured and transferred millions in U.S. dollar-denominated bulk cash to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to fund its malign activities and regional proxy groups. Specifically, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated nine Iranian individuals and entities. Iran’s Central Bank was complicit in the IRGC-QF’s scheme and actively supported this network’s currency conversion and enabled its access to funds that it held in its foreign bank accounts. This network of exchangers and couriers has converted hundreds of millions of dollars.

“The Iranian regime and its Central Bank have abused access to entities in the UAE to acquire U.S. dollars to fund the IRGC-QF’s malign activities, including to fund and arm its regional proxy groups, by concealing the purpose for which the U.S. dollars were acquired. As I said following the President’s announcement on Tuesday, we are intent on cutting off IRGC revenue streams wherever their source and whatever their destination. Today we are targeting Iranian individuals and front companies engaged in a large-scale currency exchange network that has procured and transferred millions to the IRGC-QF,” said Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. “The Treasury Department thanks the UAE for its close collaboration on this matter. Countries around the world must be vigilant against Iran’s efforts to exploit their financial institutions to exchange currency and fund the nefarious actors of the IRGC-QF and the world’s largest state sponsor of terror.”

The IRGC-QF was designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 on October 25, 2007. The IRGC itself was also designated on October 13, 2017 pursuant to E.O. 13224 for it support to the IRGC-QF, and consistent with the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act.

Mas’ud Nikbakht, Sa’id Najafpur, and Mohammad Hasan Khoda’i

Mas’ud Nikbakht, Sa’id Najafpur, and Mohammad Hasan Khoda’i are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 for acting for or on behalf of the IRGC-QF. Nikbakht, an IRGC-QF official, has worked with Meghdad Amini, a currency exchanger also being designated today, to conduct financial activities on behalf of the IRGC-QF. Najafpur is the managing director of Jahan Aras Kish, an IRGC-QF front company which is also being designated today. Khoda’i partnered with Mohammadreza Khedmati, another currency exchanger also being designated today, to establish front companies for the benefit of the IRGC-QF, and worked with Sa’id Najafpur and his associate, Meghdad Amini, to conduct financial activities on behalf of the IRGC-QF. Khoda’i also is an official at IRGC-QF front company, Jahan Aras Kish.

Mohammadreza Khedmati Valadzaghard, Meghdad Amini, and Foad Salehi

Mohammadreza Khedmati and Meghdad Amini are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 for assisting in, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, the IRGC-QF. Foad Salehi is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 for assisting in, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, the IRGC-QF and Mohammadreza Khedmati.

IRGC-QF financial facilitators Mohammadreza Khedmati, along with Meghdad Amini and Foad Salehi, transferred cash out of Iran to the UAE and converted it into USD banknotes with the help of currency exchange enablers, including Rashed Exchange, which is also being designated today.

Khedmati, the managing director Rashed Exchange, worked with the IRGC-QF to forge documents to conceal their illicit financial activities from UAE authorities. Meghdad Amini is an official at the IRGC-QF front company Jahan Aras Kish, which is also being designated today.

Salehi has assisted Khedmati in exchanging currency for the IRGC-QF and has transferred large amounts of currency to the UAE and exchanged it for the benefit of the IRGC-QF.

Jahan Aras Kish, Rashed Exchange, and Khedmati and Company Joint Partnership

cont….

>>1360391

(cont)

Jahan Aras Kish is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 for assisting in, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, the IRGC-QF. Jahan Aras Kish, and IRGC-QF front company, is involved in transferring and converting funds for the IRGC-QF, and was involved in retrieving oil revenue from foreign bank accounts held by the Central Bank of Iran for IRGC-QF activities.

Rashed Exchange is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 for being owned or controlled by Mohammadreza Khedmati. Rashed Exchange was used to convert currency for the IRGC-QF.

Iran-based Khedmati and Company Joint Partnership is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 for being owned or controlled by Mohammadreza Khedmati and Mohammad Hasan Khoda’i.

As a result of these actions, all property and interests in property of those designated today subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. In addition, foreign financial institutions that knowingly facilitate significant transactions for, or persons that provide material or certain other support to, the individuals and entities designated today risk exposure to sanctions that could sever their access to the U.S. financial system or block their property and interests in property under U.S. jurisdiction.

As a reminder, due to President Trump’s May 8, 2018 decision to cease the United States’ participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as of August 7, 2018, the United States Government will re-impose sanctions on the purchase or acquisition of U.S. dollar banknotes by the Government of Iran.

go to link for pdf of charts

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0383

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>chicago.suntimes.com/news/nurse-charged-death-h-r-mcmaster-sr-former-trump-advisers-father/

Nurse Charged In HR McMaster Father's Death At Roxborough Center

A nurse at Cathedral Village Retirement Community is facing up to 30 years in prison for allegedly neglecting HR McMaster Sr. on April 13.

ROXBOROUGH, PHILADELPHIA – Neglect, involuntary manslaughter, and falsifying records charges have been filed against a nurse in the April 13 death of former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster's father who was living at a care facility in Roxborough, Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said Thursday, May 10 that Christann Shyvin Gainey, a 30-year-old licensed nurse practitioner from Philadelphia who was contracted by the Cathedral Village Retirement Community in Roxborough, has been charged with felony neglect and involuntary manslaughter and falsifying records charges.

If convicted of these charges, Gainey could face 30 years in prison, Shapiro said.

Gainey is accused of not conducting a neurological check on H.R. McMaster Sr., 84, after he fell and hit his head on April 12 while he was at the community. Gainey is also accused of falsely reporting she did conduct the checks, as surveillance footage from the facility showed she did not conduct the checks, which are required per the facility's policy.

A nurse at the facility later told news outlets that McMaster went unattended for hours after his fall.

>>1360616

Shapiro's office confirmed the report, saying the senior McMcaster was left in the facility's lobby for eight hours after the fall.

The Philadelphia Medical examiner's office ruled McMaster's death as accidental from blunt impact trauma to the head.

However, Shapiro's office said the ME's office determined the injuries were consistent with an untreated head injury from the fall.

At about 7 a.m. on April 13, staff at the facility discovered that McMaster had died in the lobby of the building in a wheelchair.

The assistant director of nursing then requested the neurological assessment paperwork from Gainey, which she was responsible for performing. However, after Gainey gave the paperwork to facility staff, they learned the most recent check was reported at 7:20 a.m., after Mr. McMaster's time of death.

Gainey then admitted to falsifying the final check, which video footage confirmed, Shapiro said.

"She did not perform one – not one – neurological check on Mr. McMaster, and even lied on the paperwork that she did," Shapiro said. "The evidence shows that Gainey intentionally, knowingly and recklessly caused serious bodily injury to Mr. McMaster by failing to provide treatment or care. We will hold her – and anyone else who knowingly neglects a care-dependent person in Pennsylvania – accountable."

The McMaster family, despite dealing with what was likely a preventable death of a family member, said in a statement they are grateful for the AG's office and the Philadelphia Police Departments work on the case.

"Our father, Lieutenant Colonel Herbert R. McMaster (U.S. Army, retired), was a tough and compassionate soldier and public servant," said Letitia McMaster, McMaster's sister. "He was committed to his neighbors, his fellow soldiers, his community and his country. The best way to honor his memory is for all of us to do all we can to prevent others from suffering at the hands of those who lack compassion and abandon even the most basic standards of human decency. Today's charges are an important step forward in that connection."

Gainey has not been arraigned and bail has not been set as of Thursday afternoon, according to Shapiro.

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/roxborough/nurse-charged-hr-mcmaster-fathers-death-roxborough-center

This story is breaking and Patch will provide updates

Image via Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office