A dual Iranian-American citizen, who was arrested by the FBI at his Natick, Massachusetts, home last week, faced a judge Friday, pleading not guilty to charges in connection with a drone strike in Jordan that killed three American troops and injured dozens of other service members early this year.
Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, 42, was taken into custody last Monday. Prosecutors say he works at a Massachusetts-based semiconductor company. The same day, 38-year-old Mohammad Abedini was arrested in Milan, Italy, where he lives. Federal authorities said the two arrests were related to the deadly Jan. 28 strike on the American military Tower 22, located near the northeast corner of Jordan on the Syrian border.
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Sadeghi appeared Friday at Boston's Moakley Federal Courthouse, entering a not guilty plea. He was indicted last week on one count of conspiracy to violate and three counts of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations.
Sadeghi's family and his attorney declined to comment outside court.
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Sadeghi will have to wait another week before a judge makes a decision whether to grant bail.
"I don't think that's likely, based on the seriousness of the charges," NBC10 Boston legal analyst Michael Coyne said Friday. "It's not just a business crime, but it's the association, and ultimately, the rendering aid to, terrorists and terrorist organizations, that makes it such a potential serious violation."
Coyne added that the case will likely take more than a year to reach its conclusion.
“We often cite hypothetical risk when we talk about the dangers of American technology getting into dangerous hands,” U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy, the top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts, said at a news conference announcing the charges last week. “Unfortunately, in this situation, we are not speculating.”
“We don't know who's living among us sometimes," said Byron Prescott, VFW commander in Natick.
The drone attack killed three American soldiers — Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, Sgt. Breonna Moffett and Sgt. Kennedy Sanders, all from Georgia — and injured another 47.
Sgt. Sanders' mom, Oneida Oliver Sanders, spoke days after Sadeghi's arrest, saying, she's still angry.
"To be honest with you, I'm very angry," she said. "Conspiring against our country? It angers me to no end," Sanders said.
Prosecutors allege that Abedini has deep connections to the Iranian government. They say his Tehran-based company manufactures navigation systems for the military drone program of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and that he conspired with Sadeghi to circumvent American export control laws, including through the creation of a front company in Switzerland, and procure sensitive technology into Iran.
Both men are charged with export control violations, and Abedini separately faces charges of conspiring to provide material support to Iran.
If convicted, prosecutors say Sadeghi faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Abedini, who is being extradited to the U.S., could face up to life in prison.
NBC10 Boston has reached out to Sadeghi's attorney but has not heard back yet.
Officials with the FBI have said more people could be arrested and charged.
Natick residents told NBC10 Boston last week that they were shocked by the FBI raid on Sadeghi's home.
"It is concerning. It makes me want to know what's going on," Jon Link, a neighbor of Sadeghi's, said. "I've been here 15 years. Again, I'm shocked to see the media here and of course the law enforcement agencies."
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey also weighed in on the investigation last Tuesday.
"Obviously very alarming and terrifying allegations," she said. "So I'm really glad the federal authorities were able to quickly get on it and apprehend this individual and the other individual, and we need to continue working together — state, local and federal law enforcement — in these challenging times where there's stuff happening all over the world, and I certainly will continue to do that as governor."
Read the indictment below:
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
