Ontario revokes licence of dentist who changed name after helping Iran evade sanctions
Regulators have revoked the licence of an Ontario dentist after Global News revealed he was practicing under a name he adopted following his conviction for helping Iran evade sanctions.
Dr. Aurash Cohen is no longer entitled to practice in the province, according to the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, which said it cancelled his certification on Nov. 20.
A college spokesperson said she could not provide details about cases.
But she said dentists seeking certification are “required to disclose their criminal conduct history, in any jurisdiction, on their application for registration in Ontario.”
“The application form is a legal attestation – dentists are required to declare the accuracy of the contents of their application when it is submitted,” Lesley Byrne said in a statement.
The decision came six weeks after Global News reported that “Dr. Cohen” was, in fact, Arash Yousefijam, an Ontario resident who pleaded guilty in 2021 to running an Iran sanctions dodging scheme.
Together with his brother Amin Yousefijam, he exported sensitive manufacturing equipment to Iran. The Yousefijams pleaded guilty in the U.S. to sanctions evasion charges, and were sentenced to time served.
The U.S. then returned them to Canada, where they used the Ontario name change system to become Aurash and Ameen Cohen.
Under their adopted identities, Aurash Cohen graduated from McGill University and became a dentist in June, while Ameen Cohen was hired as a corporate compliance officer.
Immigration and Refugee Board
But their plan unravelled when immigration officials launched deportation proceedings against Amin Yousefijam, an Iranian citizen who entered Canada under the Skilled Workers Program.
The Canada Border Services Agency disclosed the brothers’ name changes in hundreds of pages of documents entered as exhibits at the Immigration and Refugee Board.
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A hearing that will decide whether to deport Amin Yousefijam is scheduled to begin in Toronto on Feb. 25. The CBSA is arguing the resident of Richmond Hill, Ont. is a danger to Canada’s security.
Amin Yousefijam undermined efforts to contain the Iranian regime, and contributed to “an increased security threat towards Canada in regards to terrorism and attack by nuclear weapons,” the CBSA wrote in a report.
“Mr. Yousefijam’s activities directly compromised the efforts of the Canadian government with respect to its foreign policy goals vis-a-vis Iran,” according to the CBSA’s report.
Arash Yousefijam is a naturalized Canadian citizen and therefore cannot be deported. He did not respond to an email requesting comment, but in an earlier reply he said he had “paid his dues.”
The dental college said those applying to practice in Ontario are required to demonstrate that their past and present conduct gives confidence they will go about their work “with decency, integrity and honesty and in accordance with the law,” Byrne said.
“The registration regulation also provides that an applicant shall be deemed not to have satisfied the requirements for the issuing of a certificate of registration if the applicant made a false or misleading statement or representation in respect of their application.”
The Ontario government said it was looking into reforming its name changes policies to ensure that those convicted of international sanctions violations and other serious offences cannot hide from their pasts.
Iran is a key source of instability in the Middle East. It leads a so-called “axis of resistance” that includes Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis and Hamas, which conducted the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
At the same time, the Iranian regime has been linked to several recent assassination plots targeting dissidents living abroad, as well as Irwin Cotler, a former Liberal MP and outspoken critic of the Islamic Republic.
Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
