Australian David Levick in plea deal over sales of aircraft components to Iran

An Australian has admitted smuggling aircraft components to Iran, in breach of sanctions.

An Iranian surface-to-air missile during a military parade in Tehran last April. Picture: AFP

An Australian electronics supplier has admitted in a US court to smuggling aircraft components to Iran, in breach of strict sanctions against the supply of military ­materials.

A decade after he came to the attention of US authorities, Sydney man David Levick last week struck a deal with prosecutors in Washington DC to plead guilty to four charges over his dealings that saw components for helicopters shipped to Iran.

Mr Levick claimed to one supplier of helicopter equipment that its products were to be used by aircraft operated by mining giant BHP in either Malaysia or Papua New Guinea. He told another that parts would be used in “unmanned helicopters that survey rural Australia”. However, all the equipment he was sourcing was destined for Iran.

Under the plea deal, prosecutors will seek a sentence of less than four years and nine months in jail. Sentencing is scheduled to take place next month.

The 57-year-old and his business, ICM Components, had been indicted in the US in 2012, but he was not extradited until December last year.

Yesterday, the lead inspector-general on the US military mission in Iraq and Syria, Operation Inherent Resolve, said in a report to congress that the investigation into Mr Levick was “based on a legacy Operation Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn investigation” — the US war in Iraq that began in 2003.

Mr Levick had told The Australian in 2012, when the charges against him were made public, that he was unaware he had breached sanctions. He said he had been approached in 2007, via email, by an Iranian he believed was based in Malaysia who asked him to source equipment.

“I didn’t know there was a thingamajig against them,” Mr Levick said at the time, referring to the sanctions aimed at stopping Tehran from developing ­nuclear weapons.

But the plea agreement he signed last week stated he “revealed his knowledge and intent to avoid the Iranian embargo laws” in a series of emails to the man, identified in court documents only as “Iranian A”.

“I have just been informed that the US have put more restriction(s) on the moment (sic) of funds from Iran,” he wrote in a March 2008 email. “The ANZ bank close(d) its funds transfers contract with Iran at the end of last month. So you will have to do it from Malaysia this month.

“Will keep you posted … Bloody yanks.”

Six months later, he wrote another email outlining that he had been questioned by ASIO and “the US Customs” over the “parts I have supplied to you”.

He warned the Iranian that “ASIO have been watching (the Malaysian company) for a while & it may be visited next”, and that he could face charges and a fine “for breaking trade rules”.

US court documents said ICM Components’ office in the Sydney suburb of Thornleigh was searched by the Australian Federal Police in December 2010.

In documents signed by Mr Levick as part of the plea deal, prosecutors said: “Levick solicited purchase orders and business from Iranian A for the restricted goods and other goods.

“Levick then placed orders with US companies on behalf of Iranian A for the restricted goods, aircraft parts and other goods that Iranian A could not have directly purchased from the United States without the permission of the US government.”