Alleged Iranian Spies Charged With Infiltrating Silicon Valley, Stealing U.S. Tech Trade Secrets

Three Silicon Valley software engineers have been accused of being Iranian spies, with close ties to the Islamic Republic insiders.

The New York Post reported that in February, a federal grand jury charged three Iranian software engineers – all part of the same family – of infiltrating Silicon Valley and accused them of stealing trade secrets from major tech firms, including Google.

Sisters Samaneh Ghandali, 41, and Soroor Ghandali, 32, are among the three accused of being Iranian spies. They were indicted along with Mohammadjavad Khosravi, 40 — Samaneh’s husband — for allegedly using their roles at unidentified technology companies to “obtain access to confidential and sensitive information,” according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The alleged Iranian spies have also been accused of exfiltrating “confidential and sensitive documents, including trade secrets related to processor security and cryptography and other technologies, from Google and other technology companies to unauthorized third-party and personal locations, including to work devices associated with each other’s employers, and to Iran.” All three software engineers have pleaded not guilty.

United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian released a statement which read, “As alleged, the defendants exploited their positions to steal confidential trade secrets from their employers. Our office will continue to lead the way in protecting American innovation, and we will vigorously prosecute individuals who steal sensitive advanced technologies for improper gain or to benefit countries that wish us ill.”

The DOJ revealed details of the charges against the accused Silicon Valley engineers. According to the DOJ, the indictment states that while working at Google, Samaneh allegedly transferred hundreds of files – including company trade secrets – to a third-party communications platform, sending them to channels named after each of the defendants.

Soroor is also accused of moving several Google files to the same channels during her time at the company. These materials were allegedly later copied onto multiple personal devices and onto the work devices of Khosravi and Soroor at other companies.

According to the indictment, the defendants also allegedly tried to cover their tracks by submitting false signed affidavits to the affected tech companies regarding their actions and the stolen data, deleting the transferred files and other records from the electronic devices, and hiding the methods used to extract the information to avoid detection.

Citing United Against Nuclear Iran, the New York Post reported that the Ghandali sisters’ father, Shahabeddin Ghandali, is an insider in the Iranian regime. He was reportedly a former chief executive of the Teachers Investment Fund Corporation in Iran.

In 2016, Shahbeddin was reportedly arrested on embezzlement charges totaling $2.5 billion. According to reports, he was also charged with fraud involving Iran’s Bank Sarmayeh. However, it remains unclear if he was prosecuted over the charges.

Critics of Iran’s ruling regime in the U.S. say that those family ties may have helped enable the alleged spying.

“The issue is risk, access and vulnerability,” Iranian human rights activist Lawdan Bazargan reportedly said. “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,” Bazargan, who leads the Alliance Against Islamic Regime of Iran Apologists, stated.