On paper, Ameen Cohen is a 37 -year -old banking professional with a business title and a condominis in Thornhill, ont.
But this is only his last identity.
At a deportation audience in Toronto, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) revealed that Iranian citizen has used no less than three names throughout his life.
He arrived in Canada as Amin Yousefijam and was formerly Amin Riki. He also arose that he was a Tehran police lieutenant during his compulsory military service.
CBSA officials said he legally renamed Cohen in Ontario in 2022, without disseminating he had been conviction In the United States to help Iran evade sanctions.
The new details about their evolutionary identity arose last week in a Immigration Board and Refugees Listen to that he will decide if he should be sent to Iran.
Officials of the application of Canadian immigration want to deport it because of their role in a scheme of Iranian sanctions scheme, makes it a threat of national security.
Ilran -sensitive teams illegally submitted Canada’s efforts to contain the dangers of the Islamic Republic, argued the CBSA.
The resident of Toronto contributed to « a greater threat of security to Canada in terms of terrorism and the attack on nuclear weapons, » according to a CBSA report.
His actions « directly pledged » the Canadian government’s foreign policy on the authoritarian regime of Iran, which leads a « axis of resistance » that includes Hamas, Hezbollah and Yemens’ Houthis.
The case occurs when the federal government is under pressure to prevent members and supporters of the repressive Iranian regime from using Canada as Safe refuge.
Amin yousefijam outside the IRB office in Ethobicoke, ont., February 26, 2025.
Global News
In sight, he testified that Amin Riki was born, but he legally renamed Amin Youusefijam in Iran before arriving in Canada in 2016.
When the CBSA asked if he did so to hide the past, he replied, « This is your opinion. »
He said he simply did not like the way Riki’s name sounded and that Yousefijam was « the name that resonated the most. »
As Yousefijam, he was arrested in Toronto in January 2021 United States charges claiming that he sent sensitive goods to Iran in violation of sanctions.
He was detained in Canada for ten months before he was transported to Michigan, where he spent more than a month in pre -trial detention, declared guilty and was sentenced to time.
Asked by the CBSA if he was aware that the guilty statement meant to admit his role in the conspiracy, he said he only entered a guilty allegation because it was the fastest way to solve the subject.
« It was not an admission of guilt, » he insisted.
Following his sentence in November 2021, Yousefijam was returned to Ontario, where he almost immediately requested his name from Ameen Cohen.
In his Ontario name change form, he set the « No » box in response to questions they asked if he had a criminal record in Canada or another place, said the CBSA.
Yousfijam testified that he had called a line of information from the Ontario government and was told that he only had to spread sentence to Canada. Said he recently reviewed and obtained the same answer.
After his testimony, however, Global News also called the Ontario government, but he was told that the sentences should be spread, regardless of where it took place.
« Criminal convictions are required in both Canadian jurisdictions and others, » Joey Wu, a spokesman for the provision of public and business services, confirmed.
The name change form warns the applicants that, « it is a serious crime under the Canada Criminal Code to make a false statement. »
Yousfijam denied that he was trying to hide his past and claimed that he only changed his name because his last name was too long and caused him prejudice.
He said he chose Cohen’s name because he had English and Persian roots. « It was a personal decision I made, » he said. « I chose a name that resonated with me. »
His brother Arash yousefijam He was also sentenced to the sanctions conspiracy and renamed Aurash Cohen. He told Global News that he did it because « we want to start a new life. »
Under the name Aurash Cohen, he became an Ontario dentist, but he was navy From his license last fall, as he was required to spread his criminal history « in any jurisdiction » with the province’s dental register.
The Government of Ontario has said that he was studying his name change system as a result of the brothers.
« The ability to change the name should not be a lagoon to evade justice, » said Minister’s spokesman in charge of the name change record.
« Allow serious criminals to hide their identities not only reduce the integrity of our justice system, but also a significant risk to our communities. »
Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah, Ali Khamenei, listens to the national anthem as Health Office of Air Force, Tehran, Iran, February 7, 2025. (Iranian Supreme Leader Office Via AP).
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The CBSA presented its case against Yousefijam for two days of the audiences before a member of the Refugee Council, who will decide if it will issue a deportation order.
Answering the questions raised by two CBSA officials, Yousfijam said he was involved in the sanctions regime at the request of his brother. ArashA naturalized Canadian of Iran, described as the leader of the conspiracy.
He said that his brother was recently married and occupied at the time, and asked Yousefijam to take the logistics side of the operation. « He asked me to find a good price, basically, shipping, » he said.
He was near his brother and considered « a family obligation to help him, » he said. But he then said he did not know where his brother lived and only spoke through video chats.
Yousefijam denied knowing operational details and said that his role was limited to sending emails, first while living in Iran and later in Canada, after reaching a permanent resident visa.
The materials were initially sent to the United Arab Emirates and then re -sent the transport to Iran, a tactic of the CBSA officials that were commonly used to evade sanctions.
Although he has an MBA, Yousfijam said he did not know international sanctions and money laundering regulations until a banking job began in 2018.
IRB was expected to rule its deportation this summer.
Image of Mahsa Aminini on the flag at the rally against the Iranian regime in Washington, DC, on October 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana).
Canada launched a crackdown on Iran in 2022 in response to the removal of the protests scheme that broke out for the arrest and slaughter of Mahsa aminithat was aimed at showing his hair in public.
To pressure Tehran, the government banned senior Iranian officials and members of the country’s Islamic Revolution’s guard body while promising to deport those already here.
Since then, the CBSA has identified 18 alleged senior Iranian officials living in Canada. IRB has issued deportation orders against two of them so far, Seyed Salman Samani and Majid Iranmesh.
But the IRB has refused to expel other two, and the CBSA has withdrawn its case against another, Elham zandisaid an official on Monday.
Neither the IRB nor the CBSA would explain why.
In its January 28 report For foreign interference, Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue wrote that members of the community had told their Iranian officials that they « live openly and freely in Canada ».
The Iranian regime « wants to exert influence in Canada because there is a great and well -educated Iranian diaspora, » a testimony told the investigation, whose name was not released.
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