An Australian national was sentenced March 21 to two years in federal prison on four counts of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which criminalizes knowing transactions with Iranian entities without a license from the U.S. Department of Treasury.
David Russell Levick, 57, of Cherrybrook NSW, Australia, who previously pled guilty to the charges in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Feb. 1, 2019, was sentenced by the Honorable James E. Boasberg. In addition to the prison term, Levick must pay a forfeiture amount of $199,227, which represents the total value of the goods involved in the illegal transactions. Following completion of his prison term, Levick will be subject to deportation proceedings.
The announcement was made by John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Jessie K. Liu, U.S. Attorney of the District of Columbia; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), William Higgins, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Commerce Department’s Office of Export Enforcement Boston Field Office; Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Leigh-Alistair Barzey, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Northeast Field Office.
According to court documents, Levick, as general manager of ICM Components, Inc., in Thornleigh, Australia, solicited purchase orders and business for aircraft parts from a representative of a trading company in Iran. The Iranian business partner also operated and controlled companies in Malaysia that acted as intermediaries for the Iranian trading company. Levick then placed orders with U.S. companies on behalf of the Iranian partner for the aircraft parts and other items that the Iranian partner was prohibited from directly purchasing from the United States without the permission of the U.S. government.
