- Three Iranian software engineers in Silicon Valley indicted for stealing trade secrets.
- They allegedly transferred confidential tech data, including from Google, to unauthorized locations.
- Charges include conspiracy, theft of trade secrets, and obstruction of justice; all pleaded not guilty.
Three Iranian nationals who worked as software engineers in Silicon Valley have been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly stealing trade secrets from tech companies. According to the New York Post, Samaneh Ghandali, 41, Soroor Ghandali, 32, and Mohammadjavad Khosravi, 40, have been accused of espionage and stealing trade secrets from major tech firms, including Google, in Silicon Valley.
The trio, residents of San Jose, allegedly used their positions at technology companies to access "confidential and sensitive" information and transfer the data to unauthorized locations, including Iran. They were arrested in mid-February and charged with conspiracy to commit trade secret theft, theft, and attempted theft of trade secrets, and obstruction of justice. They have all pleaded not guilty.
"Samaneh Ghandali and Soroor Ghandali, who are sisters, worked at Google before going on to work for another technology company identified as Company 3, and Khosravi, who is married to Samaneh Ghandali, worked at a technology company identified as Company 2," according to the Department of Justice.
The indictment alleges that the defendants transferred hundreds of files containing trade secrets to third-party communication platforms and personal devices, including information on processor security and cryptography.
Samaneh Ghandali, while employed at Google, transferred hundreds of files containing trade secrets to a third-party communications platform, sending them to channels named after the defendants. Soroor Ghandali is also accused of moving Google files to the same channels during her tenure. These materials were allegedly copied onto personal devices and work devices of Khosravi and Soroor at other companies.
The indictment further claims the defendants attempted to conceal their actions by submitting false affidavits to the affected tech companies, deleting transferred files and records, and hiding extraction methods.
If convicted, they could face up to 10 years in prison for each trade secret count and as much as 20 years for obstruction.
The Ghandali sisters' father, Shahabeddin Ghandali, reportedly has ties to the Iranian regime and has served as a former chief executive of the Teachers Investment Fund Corporation in Iran. Critics suggest these family connections may have facilitated the alleged espionage.
"The issue is risk, access, and vulnerability. When individuals connected to powerful networks in an authoritarian system enter universities and research centers, they gain access not only to advanced technology but also to professional networks and institutional trust. In certain cases … access can be abused," said Iranian human rights activist Lawdan Bazargan, who heads the Alliance Against Islamic Regime of Iran Apologists.
The arrests came just weeks before the US and Israel launched a massive military offensive against Iran on February 28.
