COMMISSION SIGNS OFF ON NEW SEAWORLD COASTER

Details of attraction are still secret but it could open in 2023

SeaWorld’s fourth roller coaster in six years got the green light Wednesday from the California Coastal Commission, setting the stage for a possible opening next year.

While the San Diego marine park continues to keep details and renderings of the attraction under wraps, what is known is that it is being designed as a more family-friendly ride that will not exceed 30 feet in height. It is planned for the Wild Arctic area of the park where a helicopterthemed ride operated for more than two decades.

Coastal Commissioners approved the requested coastal development permit without discussion. Their staff had recommended approval, with special conditions governing lighting and noise monitoring for the attraction, which will occupy a nearly three-acre site.

“The structure will be below the 30 ft. height limit, (and) will help minimize views of the structure from the surrounding vicinity,” commission staff wrote in a report. “Additionally, the use of a sky-like color scheme will aid the structure in blending into the surrounding sky, and the proposed lighting will not exceed 30 ft. in height, minimizing its visibility at night.”

The former Wild Arctic ride shut down in early 2020 after park officials decided the simulators had run their course and it was time to to bring in a new experience. Under the approval granted Wednesday, the existing Wild Arctic building, which currently contains a theater and is located directly north of the area’s animal exhibits, will be remodeled to serve as the rider loading area for the new coaster.

A recent post on a theme park fan site — Behind the Thrills — offered some hints about the new ride, suggesting that it will “traverse a course of twisting track that simulates the movements of a snowmobile on a daring Arctic rescue mission.”

In recent years, the San Diego park, which has long focused its attention on its

•

The graduate student happened to be Arabi’s younger sister. She was studying subjects generally related to inkjet printing, not semiconductor design, according to the indictment. She legally changed her name during the process, and while she’s listed as the inventor on provisional patents, the applications were filed by Arabi using sham email accounts to conceal his identity, according to prosecutors.

The indictment also alleges Arabi, 56, was heavily involved in founding the startup — calling and attending

meetings, choosing its name and hand-picking its chief executive officer. He allegedly took steps to hide his involvement, including setting up bogus email accounts.

The information was concealed from Qualcomm during negotiations leading up to its acquisition of the eight-month-old startup in October 2015. Arabi left Qualcomm in June 2016 after working there on and off for nine years.

Arabi and Ali Akbar Shokouhi were arrested on Monday in San Diego. Shokouhi is an entrepreneur and consultant who was involved in making the startup appear legitimate, prosecutors said. He was

also a former Qualcomm employee.

Sanjiv Taneja, who served as the startup’s CEO and the point man for negotiations, was arrested in Northern California. Arabi’s sister, Sheida Alan, was arrested in Canada and faces extradition proceedings to the United States.

Efforts to reach Arabi and Shokouhi, including contacting their lawyers, were unsuccessful. Shokouhi pleaded not guilty during an arraignment in San Diego federal court Tuesday and was released on a $1 million bond. Arabi was not available to appear in court for unknown reasons and was set to be arraigned Wednesday.

If convicted, the four charged each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; fines of $250,000 or twice their gain for the fraud charges.

The indictment also alleges that the four laundered funds via schemes that include foreign real estate purchases and interest-free loans. That could result in $500,000 fines and the forfeiture of property.

“Fraudsters cannot hide behind sophisticated technology or complex schemes,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman in a statement. “This office will pursue criminals and their laundered, ill-gotten gains whether they are hidden in a mattress or scattered throughout the international financial system.”

Qualcomm was not identified specifically in the indictment. It was referred to as a multinational San Diego technology company. But in 2017, Qualcomm sued Arabi, Taneja and Alan in San Diego Superior Court essentially making the same allegations. The legal action was dismissed without prejudice in late 2018.

“Protecting intellectual property is a cornerstone of innovation. We thank the U.S. Department of Justice for its work in this case,” the company said in a statement.