Nader Modanlo, a former aerospace executive, says he initially rejected a deal that would free him from prison as part of this month’s high-profile Iranian prisoner swap negotiated by the United States to free five Americans, according to the The New York Times.
The Iranian-American businessman, who lived in Potomac and headed an aerospace company worth $500 million prior to his imprisonment, joined his family in a Bethesda apartment earlier this month after eventually accepting clemency. However, the 55-year-old told the Times he was unhappy his release meant he had to accept the felony conviction he received in 2013, a move that would likely bar him from reentering the aerospace business, despite his hopes of the conviction being dismissed on appeal.
He said he believed his conviction for violating the Iran trade embargo was politically motivated. He was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2013 for helping Iran launch its first satellite in 2005.
Modanlo’s attorneys told the Times federal appellate judges had already criticized prosecutors’ conduct in the case and thought a reversal of the conviction was possible. However, the lead prosecutor responded that any alleged mistakes were minor “in the context of a complex six-week trial.”
Modanlo, a dual American and Iranian citizen, reportedly agreed to accept the clemency deal after lengthy discussions with his family. As part of the deal, the U.S government agreed to drop a $10 million claim on his assets—the same amount prosecutors said Modanlo received for launching the satellite— but Modanlo had to agree to never profit from his prosecution, such as by selling his story, and drop his appeal, the Times reported Wednesday.
