Overview
Steptoe's success in an Iran sanctions criminal case in New York federal court was covered by numerous national media outlets, including the Associated Press, Bloomberg News and The Wall Street Journal. On July 17, Judge Alison J. Nathan of the US District Court of the Southern District of New York granted Steptoe's motion for a new trial based on Brady violations, vacated the verdict as null and void, and dismissed with prejudice the government's case against Ali Sadr, who was found guilty by a jury in March. The judge's decision followed a June 5 request by the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York to dismiss the case on the grounds that "it would not be in the interests of justice to further prosecute this case." Steptoe partners Reid Weingarten and Brian Heberlig serve as lead defense counsel for Sadr.
Sadr, an American-educated businessman born in Iran, was accused of violating the Iran sanctions regime in connection with a $475 million contract between a private Iranian company controlled by Sadr's father and a Venezuelan state-owned company to build low-income housing in Venezuela.
The trial was marred by the mid-trial disclosure of exculpatory evidence undercutting the government's theory of the case, which the prosecutors had improperly suppressed.
The case went to the jury as the COVID-19 pandemic escalated in New York, leading one of the jurors to participate in deliberations virtually.
Post-trial, Steptoe pressed the government for all exculpatory evidence, leading prosecutors to make more than a dozen productions of previously suppressed exculpatory evidence that should have been produced before trial. Steptoe moved for a new trial due to these Brady violations, and on the day the government’s opposition to the motion was due, the US Attorney notified the court that prosecutors were dropping the case.
Along with Weingarten and Heberlig, the Steptoe white-collar team includes of counsels Bruce Bishop and David Fragale, and associates Nick Silverman and James Purce.
The post-trial developments have been covered by numerous media outlets including the following:
Associated Press – June 11
Bloomberg Law – June 5
Bloomberg – July 13
Global Investigations Review – July 6
Global Investigations Review - July 20
Law360 – June 10
Law360 – July 17
National Public Radio – June 12
National Public Radio – July 6
New York Law Journal – June 10
Wall Street Journal – June 10
