Three Silicon Valley Engineers Indicted for Allegedly Stealing Google’s Trade Secrets for Iran
A federal grand jury has indicted three Silicon Valley engineers on charges of stealing trade secrets from Google and other technology companies, and transferring sensitive data to Iran. Samaneh Ghandali, 41, her sister Soroor Ghandali, 32, and Mohammadjavad Khosravi, 40—all residents of San Jose—were arrested on Thursday and appeared in federal district court the same day.
Authorities allege the defendants, identified as Iranian nationals, stole hundreds of files containing trade secrets related to processor security, cryptography, and Pixel smartphone technology. The stolen information was routed through third-party communications platforms before being copied to personal devices and accessed during a trip to Iran in December 2023.
The FBI stated that the method of data transfer “involved deliberate steps to evade detection and conceal their identities.” Google detected the alleged theft through routine monitoring and immediately alerted law enforcement.
If convicted, each defendant faces:
- Up to 10 years in prison for each trade secret charge
- Up to 20 years for obstruction of justice
- Fines of up to $250,000 per count
Source: CNBC