Sales Chief of O.C. Firm Is Indicted

The sales director of a Huntington Beach manufacturing firm has been indicted on federal charges of trying to ship a product to Iran in violation of U.S. export embargos.

Juan Sevilla, 53, is accused of trying to illegally export through Chicago a device designed by United Calibration Corp. to test the tensile strength of steel.

“The export of sensitive technology is controlled for good reason,” Elissa A. Brown, a special agent in the Homeland Security Department’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, said in announcing the indictment. “Keeping sensitive U.S. technology and software from falling into the wrong hands is a top priority.”

Sevilla, who has been free on his own recognizance since his arrest last year, is expected to be arraigned later. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.