A 72-year-old man from Monongalia County was sentenced Wednesday to federal prison related to making a false statement about exporting scooters to the Middle East.

In January, Darus Zehrbach, of Westover, pleaded guilty to one count of making a “false statement to a federal agent,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

In February 2015, Zehrbach’s application for a license to export electric scooters to Iran was denied by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. In June 2016, Zehrbach exported eight scooters to the United Arab Emirates, knowing that the scooters would be shipped to Iran. That happened in July 2016. Zehrbach admitted to sending a letter to an agent of the U.S. Department of Commerce stating that a shipment he sent to Iran had originated in China when in fact that shipment originated in the United States.

Zehrbach is the founder of Z Electric Vehicle Corporation, which is based in Monongalia County.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Kleeh sentenced Zehrbach to six month in prison.