Westlake Village Businessman Guilty of Selling Arms to Iran
A federal court jury has convicted a Pakistani businessman from Westlake Village of illegally selling Hawk missile parts to Iran, rejecting his claim that he was involved in the Reagan Administration’s secret arms deals.
The jury deliberated less than two hours Thursday before finding Arif A. Durrani guilty on three counts--illegally exporting missile parts to Iran without a license, engaging in the export of defense articles without registration and attempting to export missile parts without a license.
Durrani, 37, claimed that he was acting on behalf of the National Security Council as part of the Administration’s secret arms shipments to Iran.
At one point in the trial, Durrani requested documents on U. S. arms shipments to Iran. CIA and National Security Council officials appeared at a hearing on the documents, but Chief U. S. District Judge T. F. Gilroy Daly denied the defense request for the documents.
Assistant U. S. Atty. Holly Fitzsimmons told jurors in closing arguments that Durrani’s case rested on his word and, if jurors did not believe him, he should be convicted.
“The only evidence to support his contention was Mr. Durrani,” Fitzsimmons said after the verdict.
Durrani, a Pakistani citizen who operated an aircraft-parts business in California, has been held without bail since his arrest Oct. 3, 1986.
He faces up to 10 years in prison and $1 million in fines on each of the three charges.
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