Ontario has revoked the license of a dentist for not disclosing previous charges related to evading U.S. sanctions on Iran, a spokesperson from the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO) told Global News.
Ontario resident Arash Yousefijam pleaded guilty in the United States in 2021 to running a scheme to dodge Iran sanctions along with his brother, Amin Yousefijam. Both were sentenced to time served.
The brothers legally changed their names through Ontario’s name-change system, becoming Aurash and Ameen Cohen. With their new identities, Aurash Cohen, a naturalized Canadian citizen, graduated from McGill University and became a dentist in June but saw his license revoked in November by RCDSO. Meanwhile, Ameen Cohen, still holding immigrant status, was hired as a corporate compliance officer.
How the charges came to light?
The past charges came to light when immigration officials launched deportation proceedings against Amin Yousefijam, an Iranian citizen who entered Canada under the Skilled Workers Program. A hearing is scheduled on Feb. 25 in Toronto to determine if Amin Yousefijam will be deported. The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) has stated that Amin Yousefijam’s “activities directly compromised the efforts of the Canadian government with respect to its foreign policy goals vis-à-vis Iran.”
While U.S. sanctions on Iran date back to 1979, they were reinstated in November 2018 and expanded in 2019 and 2020 to target Iran’s financial sector.
