N. Charleston businessman gets 3 years for exporting goods to Ir - Live5News.com | Charleston, SC | News, Weather, Sports

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC/AP) - A North Charleston businessman has been sentenced to three years in prison for illegally exporting goods to Iran.

Federal court documents state 49-year-old Markos Baghdasarian was sentenced Wednesday in federal court. He pleaded guilty in December.

It's against the law to trade with Iran without special permission from the government. Federal law also requires exporters to file forms saying where their shipments are going.

Baghdasarian was president of Delfin Group USA, a Russian-owned producer and supplier of synthetic motor oils.

He was arrested last year at Atlanta's main airport before he could board a flight to the United Arab Emirates. Prosecutors said Baghdasarian lied to federal agents about trying to get South Carolina products into Iran.

Copyright 2013 WCSC. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.