Regulators have revoked an Ontario dentist’s license after Global News revealed he was practicing under a name he adopted after he was convicted of helping Iran evade sanctions.
Dr. Orash Cohen is no longer entitled to practice in the province, according to what was stated in Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontariowhich said it revoked his testimony on November 20.
A college spokeswoman said she could not provide details about the cases.
But she said dentists seeking certification “are required to disclose their history of criminal conduct, in any jurisdiction, when seeking registration in Ontario.”
“The application form is a legal certificate – dentists are required to declare the accuracy of the contents of their application when submitting it,” Lesley Byrne said in a statement.
The decision came six weeks after Global News published that “Dr. Cohen was actually, Arash Yousefjaman Ontario resident who in 2021 pleaded guilty to running a scheme to evade sanctions on Iran.
Along with his brother Amin YoussefjamHe exported sensitive manufacturing equipment to Iran. The Yosefegams pleaded guilty in the United States to a charge of evading sanctions and were sentenced to time served.
The United States then returned them to Canada, where they used Ontario’s name change system to become Orash and Amin Cohen.
Under their adopted identities, Orash Cohen graduated from McGill University and became a dentist in June, while Amin Cohen was appointed as the company’s compliance officer.
Immigration and Refugee Board
But their plan collapsed when immigration officials began deportation proceedings against Amin Youssefjam, an Iranian citizen who entered Canada under the skilled worker program.
The CBSA revealed the brothers’ name changes in hundreds of pages of documents entered as exhibits at the Immigration and Refugee Board.
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The hearing that will decide whether Amin Yousfejam will be extradited is scheduled to begin in Toronto on February 25. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is arguing with a resident of Richmond Hill, Ontario. It poses a threat to Canada’s security.
The Canada Border Services Agency wrote in a report that Amin Yousfejam undermined efforts to contain the Iranian regime, and contributed to “an increased security threat to Canada related to terrorism and nuclear weapons attack.”
“Mr. Yousvigam’s activities directly harmed the Canadian government’s efforts with respect to its foreign policy objectives toward Iran, according to the CBSA report.
Arash Youssefjam is a naturalized Canadian citizen and therefore cannot be deported. He did not respond to an email requesting comment, but said in an earlier response that he had “paid his dues.”
The College of Dentistry said applicants for employment in Ontario are required to demonstrate that their past and present behavior gives confidence that they will conduct their work “ethically, with integrity, honestly and in accordance with the law,” Byrne said.
“The Registration Regulations also provide that an applicant will be deemed not to meet the requirements for the issuance of a registration certificate if the applicant makes a false or misleading statement or representation in relation to his or her application.”
The Ontario government said it is considering reforming name change policies to ensure those convicted of international sanctions violations and other serious crimes cannot hide from their past.
Iran is a major source of instability in the Middle East. It leads the so-called “Axis of Resistance” that includes Hezbollah, the Yemeni Houthis, and Hamas, who carried out the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Meanwhile, 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
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