According to court documents, Baghdasarian withdrew his plea of not guilty entered Sept. 25 and entered the guilty plea last week in Charleston at the U.S. District Court in South Carolina. Lube Report could not reach Baghdasarians attorney for comment by press time.

Baghdasarian faces a potential sentence of five years in prison for conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, 20 years in prison for violating the same Act, and five years in prison for false statements, according to a U.S. Department of Justice statement issued Dec. 5.

Baghdasarian was apprehended May 19 at Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta as he prepared to board a flight for the United Arab Emirates. Arrested on a criminal complaint issued in South Carolina, he was indicted on June 14. The government alleged the sale and export of $850,000 in aviation oils and polymer in violation of U.S. imposed sanctions over Irans nuclear program. The trade embargo has been in place since 1995.

According to the indictment, Baghdasarian engaged in prohibited transactions with customers in Iran from June 2010 through 2011, including Pars Oil, which is owned by Irans government. Under U.S. law, U.S. persons and companies are prohibited from engaging in commercial transactions involving Iran unless authorized by the U.S. Department of Treasury. The indictment also said he concealed from the U.S. government that materials were being sold to customers in Iran by falsely stating U.A.E. was the final destination of goods that were actually intended for Iran.

Baghdasarian was terminated from Delfin in early September. The U.S. Commerce Department in September permitted Delfin USA, led by company President John Gordon since April 14, to resume normal domestic and international trade compliant with Export Administration regulations and other applicable U.S. law.