U.S. Department of Justice confirmed Friday the arrest of two American-based aviation business CEOs for pumping sophisticated military aircraft parts and arms to Iran.

Investigative notes allege the ring is just one of a slew of Iranian procurement schemes seeking U.S. military technologies, and the international probe is ongoing.

Federal Authorities arrested Hassan Saied Keshari, 48, Kesh Air International owner of Novato, California, and Traian Bujduveanu, 53, Orion Aviation Corp., owner of Plantation, Florida, last Friday, June 20.

In a Miami, Florida, U.S. Federal Court hearing Thursday, June 26, Judge John J. O’Sullivan ordered Keshari and Bujduveanu held without bond pending trial because the aviators posed a “risk of flight.”

Arrest warrant documents noted the Islamic Republic of Iran’s official language of Farsi as spoken by defendant Keshari, who was apprehended at Miami International Airport.

Federal authorities took Bujduveanu from his Plantation, Florida, home shortly after.

Justice alleges since August 2006, Keshari and Bujduveanu procured U.S.-made military aircraft parts for Iran so the Islamic Republic could nurse its air force of mainly U.S. aircraft after years of tensions that include a strict trade embargo.

“Among the aircraft parts [they]…obtained and illegally shipped to buyers in Iran are parts for the CH-53 military helicopter, the F-14 Tomcat fighter jet and the AH-1 attack helicopter,” a Justice press release stated.

Justice added Keshari attempted to procure parts for other military aircraft, including the F-4 Phantom.

The supplies are “designated by the U.S. Department of State as ‘defense articles’ on the U.S. Munitions List,” Justice stated in the press release.

Federal authorities rounded up evidence from raids against the homes and businesses associated with Keshari and Bujduveanu as the arrests took place.

“Agents found boxes of military aircraft parts stored on Bujduveanu’s property, including hundreds of parts for the C-130, the F-5, and other military aircraft,” Justice stated.

Although the case includes elements of espionage, including hundreds of secretive messages captured from e-mails noted in an investigative report, U.S. attorneys are seeking trial on comparatively mild domestic criminal offenses.

If convicted, statutory maximums sentences top off at about 20 years in prison for each.

“Today’s defendants are charged with illegally selling U.S. military equipment to Iran, thus helping that country build up its military strength,” U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta said.

“We owe it to the many servicemen and women who defend us to vigorously prosecute illegal exports of American military equipment.”

Pentagon Special Agent Christopher Amato went further in his comments. “The illegal diversion of U.S. military technologies through deception, particularly to countries such as Iran, is treacherous and dangerous to the U.S. and our allies,” he said.

Special Agent Anthony Mangione noted the case’s significance for taking down two suspect aviation corporations and their CEOs.

The result came after an extensive, long-term investigation. “The national security implications of this case cannot be underestimated,” Mangione said.

The focus was “a potentially dangerous scheme to sell and distribute sensitive U.S. military equipment,” he added. “In the wrong hands, technology like this could be used to inflict harm upon America or its allies.”

Special Agent Sammy Cruzcosiano with the Department of Homeland Security swore out the criminal complaint, noting specific results of the multi-agency probe.

Cruzcosiano noted the case resulted from “ongoing investigations” successfully identifying a number of procurement networks Iran is using to get U.S. technology goods.

“These investigations have revealed these Iranian procurement networks use suppliers located throughout the world, including suppliers in the U.S.,” Cruzcosiano said.

He added cracking into e-mail communications has been one methodology used by investigators, and he detailed dozens of incriminating e-mail messages in a 40-point report.

Regarding an e-mail invoice, Cruzcosiano said, “The email is written in Farsi, and has 10 pdf attachments.

“According to the attached invoice, which is on Kesh Air letterhead, the part was sold for $5,400 each, for a total of $27,000…The invoice also indicates the items were ‘shipped from Orion Aviation.”

The report catalogued hundreds of other similar connections, indicating many parts contracts as laundered through Dubai as a means of dodging suspicion.

Cruzcosiano said his report is a small portion of the evidence against Keshari and Bujduveanu, enough to establish probable cause for arrest and detention pending trial.

Court documents indicated other individuals as involved in the illegal shipping operations, but no further arrests had been confirmed as pending at this time.