Alexander Nooredin Latifi is the owner of Axion Corporation, a defense contracting firm based in Huntsville, Alabama.
Indictment On March 28, 2007, Latifi and Axion Corporation were indicted on five federal counts by United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama Alice H. Martin, following an investigation by Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The indictment alleges that in *In September 2003 and continuing thereafter, Latifi and Axion Corporation exported defense articles (technical drawings of the bifilar weight assembly for the UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopter to overseas manufacturers without first obtaining the required license and authorization from the State Department, which is required by law. *On or about February 19, 2004, Latifi and Axion Corporation and made a fraudulent representation to the U.S. Army concerning an aircraft part in connection with a military contract. Specifically, the defendants represented to the U.S. Army that certain parts were provided by Tungsten Products of Madison, Alabama, when that company was not the supplier. *On or about January 2004, Latifi and Axion Corporation and Latifi knowingly submitted a false document to the government in connection with a military contract involving a tank part. Specifically, the defendants submitted "First Article Test Reports" which falsely stated that Industrial Fabrications Co., Inc., had conducted testing, when the defendants knew that the test reports were false and the testing had not taken place before a specific date.
Counts four and five of the indictment seek forfeiture of any assets and property derived from the offenses alleged in the indictment, including real property at 317 Nick Fitchard Road NW, Huntsville, Alabama, where Axion Corporation is located, as well as $659,280 and all interest and proceeds derived therefrom.
The maximum penalty for exporting defense articles without a license is ten years' imprisonment, a fine of $1,000,000 or both, and a term of supervised release of three years. The maximum penalty for fraud is fifteen years imprisonment, a fine of not more than $500,000, or both, and a term of supervised release of three years. The maximum penalty for filing false documents is five years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, or both, and a term of three years supervised release.
The prosecution in the case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David H. Estes, Angela Redmond Debro, and James D. Ingram of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Alabama, as well as Trial Attorney Mariclaire Rourke from the Counterespionage Section of the United States Department of Justice National Security Division.
ON OCTOBER 30, 2007, JUDGE INGE JOHNSON OF THE U.S. DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA DISMISSED THE FIVE COUNT INDICTMENT AGAINST ALEXANDER NOOREDIN LATIFI, FOR LACK OF EVIDENCE AFTER A ONE WEEK BENCH TRIAL. LATIFI WAS ACQUITTED - YET HIS BATTLE WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT RAGES ON. MR. LATIFI IS SUING THE GOVERNMENT FOR RETURN OF HIS LEGAL FEES AND REQUESTING FROM THE JUDGE FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO WITHDRAW ALL THE PRESS RELEASES AND POST A LETTER OF APOLOGY FOR THEIR WRONGDOING TO MR. LATIFI AND AXION CORPORATION. A LETTER HAS BEEN POSTED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE DATED DECEMBER 28,2007, THAT STATES LATIFI AND AXION WERE REINSTATED AS GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS IN GOOD STANDING, EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 14, 2007. MR. HENRY FROHSIN HAS INFORMED THE JUDGE THAT THIS IS NOT ADEQUATE AND IS NOT A LETTER OF APOLOGY.
ALEX LATIFI IS A NATURALIZED AMERICAN CITIZEN ORIGINALLY FROM IRAN. AXION HIS FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS SINCE 1984, HAS BEEN NEARLY DESTROYED IN THIS PROCESS. LATIFI IS NOW FIGHTING TO GET HIS COMPANY AND REPUTATION BACK. THE GOVERNMENT RAIDED AXION AND MR. LATIFI'S HOME TWICE CONFISCATING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, COMPUTERS AND EVEN PERSONAL CELL PHONES THAT BELONGED TO HIS WIFE AND FOUR CHILDREN.
HENRY FROHSIN AND JIM BARGER OF BAKER DONELSON, BEARMAN, CALDWELL,BERKOWITZ OF BIRMINGHAM ,AL HAVE DEFENDED MR. LATIFI SINCE 2003, WHEN THE GOVERNMENT BEGAN ITS INVESTIGATION OF AXION. FROHSIN AND BARGER SAY THIS IS THE MOST ABUSIVE PROSECUTION OF A U.S. CITIZEN THAT THEY HAVE EVER SEEN.
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2. 10-01-2008 19:43
THE INVESTIGATION STARTED WHEN FORMER AXION SECRETARY, ELIZABETH LEMAY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA, STOLE 18 AXION CHECKS AND FORGED ALEX LATIFI'S SIGNATURE AND MANIPULATED THE COMPUTER AND ACCOUNTING RECORDS, TO COVER HER EMBEZZLEMENT. SHE WAS ARRESTED BY THE HUNTSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND PLED GUILTY AND RECEIVED FOUR YEARS SENTENCE. SHE CONTACTED THE CID AND LIED ABOUT MR. LATIFI AND AXION CORPORATION. THE INVESTIGATOR WAS MARCUS MILLS, WHO HAD BEEN RECENTLY HIRED BY CID. HE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN WORKING FOR THE POST OFFICE IN CORINTH, MISSISSIPPI, AND THIS WAS HIS FIRST INVESTIGATION ASSIGNMENT WITH THE CID. HE HAS NOW BEEN SENT BACK TO THE POST OFFICE IN CORINTH, MISSISSIPPI.
