British firm’s subsidiary pleads guilty in illegal export of Boeing 747 jumbo jets to Iran
By Pete Yost, APFriday, February 5, 2010
British firm subsidiary pleads in Iran plane case
WASHINGTON — A subsidiary of a British company has pleaded guilty in the illegal export of Boeing 747 aircraft to Iran.
Balli Aviation Ltd. will pay a $2 million criminal fine, be placed on probation for five years and agreed to a $15 million civil settlement between the U.S. government, the subsidiary and its parent company, British-based among Balli Group PLC.
According to papers filed in federal court where the subsidiary pleaded guilty Friday, Balli Aviation Ltd. conspired to export three Boeing 747 aircraft from the United States to Iran from 2005 to 2008 without having obtained a required export license. The subsidiary also admitted it violated a U.S. Commerce Department order that bars the company from conducting transactions subject to export regulations.
