US charges Chinese national with giving Iran ballistic missile materials

A Chinese national has been charged with attempting to give Iran materials used in the production of intercontinental ballistic missiles, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.  

Xiangjiang Qiao, 39, is an employee of Sinotech Dalian Carbon and Graphite Manufacturing Corporation. 

Sinotech Dalian is part of a network of Chinese companies involved in the proliferation of WMDs and provide assistance in the procurement of materials for Iran’s ballistic missile program, according to the Justice Department. 

The U.S. sanctioned Sinotech Dalian in 2014 over its contributions to Iran’s ballistic missile procurement, which prohibited it from using the U.S. financial system to conduct transactions. 

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Per the DOJ, Qiao supplied isostatic graphite to Iran for the production of WMDs. The material is a type of graphite with an ultra-fine grain used to make rocket nozzles.

The DOJ said the scheme involved transactions that used the U.S. financial system in violation of the sanctions. 

Qiao created a bank account in the name of a front company to receive two transfers from a U.S. bank totaling over $15,000 as part of his effort to help Iran. 

Qiuo is in China and has not been arrested, prosecutors said. He faces charges including sanctions evasion, bank fraud, and money laundering.