An American citizen who worked as a translator for the U.S. Army in Iraq has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for conspiring to provide antiaircraft missiles and other military equipment to the Afghan Taliban.
The sentence for Alwar Pouryan, who is of Iranian Kurdish background, was handed down on September 25 in New York federal court following his conviction in August.
Pouryan was arrested in Bucharest, Romania, last February.
Prosecutors said Pouryan and another defendant agreed during meetings in Ghana, Ukraine, and Romania to arrange the sale of millions of dollars of weapons to people they believed represented the Taliban.
The alleged Taliban representatives were actually agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
The codefendant in the case, Oded Orbach, is due to be sentenced November 1.
The sentence for Alwar Pouryan, who is of Iranian Kurdish background, was handed down on September 25 in New York federal court following his conviction in August.
Pouryan was arrested in Bucharest, Romania, last February.
Prosecutors said Pouryan and another defendant agreed during meetings in Ghana, Ukraine, and Romania to arrange the sale of millions of dollars of weapons to people they believed represented the Taliban.
The alleged Taliban representatives were actually agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
The codefendant in the case, Oded Orbach, is due to be sentenced November 1.
