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> The Iranian intelligence official [based in Iran] used private investigators to surveil, photograph and video record the author, the government said It is a

> The Iranian intelligence official [based in Iran] used private investigators to surveil, photograph and video record the author, the government said It is a shame that the NYT doesn’t include more information about these third party PIs — presumably licensed US investigators? If you help someone who is planning to commit a crime, that feels like you too have done something wrong. I wonder if the indictment also includes the PIs? The financial world has had KYC / Know Your Customer laws for a while now. Surely the same goes for PIs, with penalties for helping the bad guys? Edit: one conspirator was a Californian and has been charged with “providing financial services in support of the plot”, though it’s not clear if they were negligent in due-diligence or an outright Iranian government villain: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/13/iran-intelligence-officer-kidnap-plot-us-journalist https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/13/iran-intelli...

unishark 5y ago
A PI can be just a guy with a car and a camera though. You can't expect them to be able to handle the degree of regulations banks have. Your link says they were hired under false pretenses. There's more detail on the allegations here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/iranian-intelligence-officials-indicted-kidnapping-conspiracy-charges https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/iranian-intelligence-official... > As alleged, Bahadorifar provided financial and other services from the United States to Iranian residents and entities, including to Khazein, since approximately 2015. Bahadorifar facilitated access to the U.S. financial system and institutions through the use of card accounts and offered to manage business interests in the United States on Khazein’s behalf. Among other things, Bahadorifar caused a payment to be made to a private investigator for surveillance of Victim-1 on Khazein’s behalf. While Bahadorifar is not charged with participating in the kidnapping conspiracy, she is alleged to have provided financial services that supported the plot and is charged with conspiring to violate sanctions against Iran, commit bank and wire fraud, and commit money laundering. Bahadorifar is also charged with structuring cash deposits totaling more than approximately $445,000. > Farahani, Khazein, Sadeghi and Noori are each charged with: (1) conspiring to kidnap, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; (2) conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and sanctions against the government of Iran, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; (3) conspiring to commit bank and wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; and (4) conspiring to launder money, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Bahadorifar is charged with counts two, three and four, and is further charged with structuring, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
- akiselev 5y ago
  Only five states allow private investigators to operate without a license. In many (most?) states, including all of the big ones, they require a degree in criminal justice or equivalent experience in law enforcement to even qualify.

unishark 5y ago

A PI can be just a guy with a car and a camera though. You can't expect them to be able to handle the degree of regulations banks have. Your link says they were hired under false pretenses. There's more detail on the allegations here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/iranian-intelligence-officials-indicted-kidnapping-conspiracy-charges https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/iranian-intelligence-official... > As alleged, Bahadorifar provided financial and other services from the United States to Iranian residents and entities, including to Khazein, since approximately 2015. Bahadorifar facilitated access to the U.S. financial system and institutions through the use of card accounts and offered to manage business interests in the United States on Khazein’s behalf. Among other things, Bahadorifar caused a payment to be made to a private investigator for surveillance of Victim-1 on Khazein’s behalf. While Bahadorifar is not charged with participating in the kidnapping conspiracy, she is alleged to have provided financial services that supported the plot and is charged with conspiring to violate sanctions against Iran, commit bank and wire fraud, and commit money laundering. Bahadorifar is also charged with structuring cash deposits totaling more than approximately $445,000. > Farahani, Khazein, Sadeghi and Noori are each charged with: (1) conspiring to kidnap, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; (2) conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and sanctions against the government of Iran, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; (3) conspiring to commit bank and wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; and (4) conspiring to launder money, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Bahadorifar is charged with counts two, three and four, and is further charged with structuring, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

akiselev 5y ago
Only five states allow private investigators to operate without a license. In many (most?) states, including all of the big ones, they require a degree in criminal justice or equivalent experience in law enforcement to even qualify.