Texas Couple Accused of Funneling Money to Iran

A Texas couple and the head of an Oregon charity secretly sent millions of dollars to an Iranian bank and to a contact in Iran for 9 years, violating the U.S. embargo on the Middle East country, according to a federal indictment. The indictment describes an alleged scheme in which the Texas couple got tax exemptions for their donations to the Portland-based Child Foundation charity. The head of the charity allegedly funneled money meant for food and other assistance to his cousin, and to a bank controlled by the Iranian government. Working through Iranian corporations and banks in Switzerland and Dubai, the Texas couple and charity headâ??s cousin masked their transfers by using food shipments and other commodities to cover financial donations intended for a sister charity in Iran run by the cousin, federal prosecutors said. â??These defendants are charged with going to extraordinary lengths to conceal the transfer of large sums of money in violation of the Iranian embargo,â?? the U.S. Attorney for Oregon said in a statement December 16. A 26-page indictment alleged the Texas couple conspired to defraud the government, and laundered money by purporting to transfer charitable donations to Iran while actually keeping control of the money.