Federal officials in Massachusetts have started a legal process to seize roughly $584,741 in Tether
$1.00
from an Iranian citizen.
The man is accused of helping Iran’s military with technology support. According to a submitted filing, the funds were kept in a private crypto wallet that is not managed by any financial service or exchange.
The individual named in the case is Mohammad Abedini. He is known for founding a company in Iran called San’at Danesh Rahpooyan Aflak Co. (SDRA). This company is said to have supplied navigation equipment to a drone maker in Iran.
Did you know?
Subscribe – We publish new crypto explainer videos every week!
How to Store NFTs in 2023 (3 Most Secure Ways Explained)
US prosecutors accused Abedini of trying to acquire restricted American-made technology and sharing it with groups classified as foreign terrorist organizations.
The Department of Justice said he was arrested in Italy in late 2024 but was freed the next month.
An independent group called Iran Watch has also released reports about Abedini. They claimed that from 2016 to 2024, he and a partner moved small electronic parts, originally made in the United States, into Iran. The process allegedly involved shipping the items through Switzerland.
The current legal case does not focus on sending Abedini to prison but instead aims to take control of the crypto assets linked to him. The Justice Department noted that the funds are connected to illegal trade activity.
Recently, ​two men were arrested in Hong Kong for running hidden crypto mining rigs using care home electricity. How did the case unfold? Read the full story.
