Regulators revoke license of Ontario dentist after Global News exposed he practiced under the name he adopted after his conviction for helping Iran avoid penalties.
Dr. Aurash Cohen no longer entitled to practice in the province, according to Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontariowhich said it revoked his certification on November 20.
A college spokesman said he could not provide details about the cases.
But she said dentists seeking certification are "required to list their history of criminal conduct in any jurisdiction on their application for registration in Ontario."
"The application form is a legal endorsement - dentists are required to declare the content of their application is correct 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 Yousefiyaman Ontario resident who pleaded guilty in 2021 to running an Iran sanctions evasion program.
Along with his brother Amin Yousefiyamexported sensitive manufacturing equipment to Iran. The Yousefijams pleaded guilty to sanctions evasion charges in the US and were sentenced to time served.
The US then returned them to Canada, where they used Ontario's 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.
But their plan fell apart when immigration officials opened deportation proceedings against Amin Yousefijam, an Iranian citizen who entered Canada under the skilled worker program.
The Canada Border Services Agency revealed the brothers' name changes in hundreds of pages of documents filed as exhibits with the Immigration and Refugee Board.
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A hearing to decide Amin Yousefijam's deportation is scheduled to begin in Toronto on February 25. The CBSA is arguing with a resident of Richmond Hill, Ont. is a danger to the security of Canada.
Amin Yousefijam undermined efforts to contain the Iranian regime and contributed to "an increased security threat to Canada related to terrorism and nuclear attacks," the CBSA wrote in the report.
"Mr. Yousefijam's activities directly compromised the Canadian government's efforts with respect to its foreign policy objectives toward Iran," the CBSA report said.
Arash Yousefijam is a naturalized Canadian citizen and therefore cannot be deported. He did not respond to an email seeking comment, but said in an earlier response that he had "paid his dues."
The dental school said those applying to practice in Ontario must demonstrate that their past and present conduct provides confidence that they will do their jobs "decently, with integrity and honesty and in accordance with the law," Byrne said.
“The Registration Regulations also provide that an applicant is ineligible for a certificate of registration if the applicant has made a false or misleading statement or representation in relation to his application.
The It was announced by the Ontario government considered reforming the name change policy to ensure that those convicted of violating international sanctions and other serious crimes could not hide from their past.
Iran is a major source of instability in the Middle East. He leads the so-called "axis of resistance" that includes Hezbollah, the Yemeni Houthis and Hamas, which carried out the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
At the same time, the Iranian regime has been linked to several recent assassinations targeting dissidents living abroad, as well as Irwin Cotler, a former Liberal MP and outspoken critic of the Islamic Republic.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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