Trial Begins For Md. Man In Iran Satellite Case

The case against an Iranian-American man accused of helping Iran launch its first satellite may sound like a James Bond movie but it's a real life drama, a prosecutor said Tuesday as trial opened.

Nader Modanlo, 52, is accused of brokering a deal to help Iran launch the earth observation satellite from Russia. Prosecutors say the Maryland resident violated a trade embargo the United States has had against the Middle Eastern country since the mid-1990s and that he was paid $10 million for his assistance.

"The case you're about to hear is not a movie script," prosecutor David Salem told jurors in opening statements Tuesday in federal court in Greenbelt.
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