A Calabasas woman accused of being the broker in an illegal plan to buy $9 million worth of U.S. anti-tank missiles for Iran's war against Iraq agreed Friday to go to Florida to stand trial.
Fahrin Sanai, 52, whose husband also was arrested in the case, waived her right to a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Volney V. Brown Jr. and agreed to be sent to Orlando, where a U.S. District Court trial against the couple and five others is scheduled to begin Oct. 7. Federal authorities believe the alleged ring was based in the Orlando area.
The woman is charged with conspiracy to illegally export weapons to Iran and 14 counts of wire fraud.
Federal authorities said Sanai, her husband, Fadel N. Fadel, 52, and the other suspects were arrested last month after an undercover FBI agent learned of an alleged plan to send more than 1,100 TOW anti-tank missiles and other weapons to the government of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The export of U.S. arms to Iran has been illegal since November, 1979, after the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, federal authorities said.
Offered to Put Up Home
Among the others arrested was Lt. Col. Wayne G. Gillespie, 46, who was assigned to the U.S. Army's missile command at the Pentagon.
