Reza Zarrab

Reza Zarrab (b. 1984 as Reza Sarraf) is an Iranian-Turkish Gold Trader, May 18, 2016 charged with conspiring to launder money, bank fraud, and evading US sanctions  on Iran via RSG Gold, Operated out of Trump Tower Istanbul, that Turkish President Erdogan wanted released until Zarrab agreed to cooperate with SDNY prosecutors.   Zarrab is married to Turkish pop star Ebru Gundes  

Zarrab’s companies: Royal Holding AS–Trump Tower 2, Floor 35, Istanbul-Holding company for  RSG Gold (Turkey’s largest Gold Exporter), RSG Altin, I Volga, Royal Mobilya/Royal Furniture, Royal Craft (ship building), Royal Shipping, Are Aviation, Great Success from Volgam; Yacht is “60 Years”

December 17, 2013 Turkish police raided state-run Halkbank (whose General Manager, Suleyman Aslan, Zarrab bribed and it held $3 billion of Iranian funds), Zarrab and construction tycoon Ali Agaoglu‘s offices in wide-ranging corruption probe about Erdogan’s political threat posed by Gulen (exiled 1999, accused of trying to establish an Islamic state, residing in Pennsylvania), led by Gulen supporter, prosecutor Zekeriya Oz. Case about bribes for public projects, ignoring zoning regulations. Zarrab confessed to paying tens of millions in bribes to Economic Minister Zafer Caglayan (who asked for 50% of profits) in an Gold-for-Oil trade scheme with Iran. Head of the Erdogan opposition party (Republican People’s Party) Kemal Kilicdaroglu, warned the US of strained relations following a leaked Turkish intelligence report on a 2013 investigation; Zarrab testified that Turkish President Erdogan directed sanction-evading trade with Ziraat Bank and VakifBank in 2012; Zarrab testified that he paid for prostitutes; arrested in March 2016 with $102,000, claiming on his way to vacation Walt Disney World; Zarrab funneled $45,000 to a US prison guard through his Turkish attorney & paid other inmates to use their cell phones.

Quid Pro Quo

  •  Turkey
  • Iran
  • Money Laundering
  • Fmr.US Attorney Preet Bharara-Giuliani called on February 24, 2017, Mukasey told Fmr. AG Jeff Sessions about trip to Turkey to meet Erdogan, FIRED in MARCH, replaced by prosecuting US Attorney Joon H. Kim.  Federal District Court Judge Richard M. Berman
  • Rudy Giuliani– Greenberg Traurig (resigned May 10, 2018, after embarrassing, conflicting media appearances about Stormy Daniels hush money payments, GT is the law firm for Deutsche Bank, Trump Organization, & Kushner Co.) and Mr. Mukasey’s, Debevoise & Plimpton, both represented banks that prosecutors say were victims in the case. Attorney for Zarrab, lobbied US officials outside of court for Zarrab; Attorney for Trump; admitted to arranging a swap of Zarrab for jailed American pastor Andrew Brunson in Turkey (released October 12, 2018 after 2 yrs). Giuliani met with Erdogan
  • Fmr. Attorney General for Bush, Michael Mukasey-Attorney for Zarrab
  • Brian Ballard, RNC, Trump Campaign Fundraiser, $125,000/month contract to represent Halkbank in August 2017
  • Benjamin Brafman-Zarrab’s lead attorney, confirmed the Giuliani-Mukasey-Erdogan meeting on March 24, 2019 to discuss dropping the US case against Zarrab
  • Rex Tillerson–Trump told Tillerson to talk to Giuliani and help Zarrab; Tillerson objected to Trump’s request, revealed after the July 25 call with Ukraine President Zelensky, leading to Impeachment

Thread by @kelly2277 incorporated here, many thanks

US Superseding Indictment filed by Joon H. Kim- Zarrab became a star witness by turning on Mehmet Hakan Atilla

Money Laundering in SDNY, Turkey, UAE, and elsewhere, with co-defendants Turkish banker Mehment Hakan Atilla, Mehmet Zafer Caglayan aka Abi, Suleyman Aslan, Levent Balkan, Abdullah Happani, Mohammad Zarrab aka Can Sarraf & Kartalmsd, Camelia Jamshidy aka Kamelia, Hossein Najafzadeh; Bank Fraud; Violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by providing financial services to Iran & Defrauding the US

Trump Urged Top Aide to Help Giuliani Client Facing DOJ Charges. Bloomberg By and 

  • Secretary of State Rex Tillerson refused to interfere in case
  • 2017 episode bears hallmarks of Trump approach to Ukraine call

Reza Zarrab Reveals a Plot to Kill Him, and Is Accused of Rape New York Times By Benjamin Weiser December 9, 2017 (rape accusation by Zarrab’s cellmate 2016-17 at Manhattan’s Metropolitan Correctional Center, an Ivory Coast inmate after connecting a weapons dealer with FARC, the Colombian guerrilla group)

Gold trader says he made ‘maybe $150 million’ from plot to beat Iran sanctions By Jose Pagliery, CNN December 7, 2017 “He said that “after paying commission for the bank and other bribes,” he was left with a cut of 0.4%, equal to $4 on every $1,000.” Zarrab moved $25-$37 billion

Erdogan Helped Turks Evade Iran Sanctions, Reza Zarrab Says New York Times By Benjamin Weiser 2012, a senior Turkish official told him that Mr. Erdogan — now Turkey’s president, at the time its prime minister — and a second official, the treasury minister, had given orders for the banks “to start doing this trade.” Mr. Zarrab’s testimony marked the first time Mr. Erdogan has been implicated in the alleged sanctions busting, which first surfaced when the Turkish police uncovered the activity in 2013.”

Erdoğan says he asked US VP Biden about arrest of Iranian-Turkish businessman Zarrab Hurriyet News Fikret Bila / Abdulkadir Selvi – UNITED NATIONS September 25 2016

Graft Inquiry Intensifies Turkish Political Rivalry New York Times By Tim Arango and Sebnem Arsu