Three engineers working at major Silicon Valley technology companies have been indicted on federal charges of stealing sensitive trade secrets and transferring confidential data to unauthorized locations, including Iran, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday, February 19.
A federal grand jury in the Northern District of California indicted Samaneh Ghandali, 41, her sister Soroor Ghandali, 32, and Samaneh’s husband, Mohammadjavad (Mohammad) Khosravi, 40, on charges of conspiracy to commit trade secret theft, theft and attempted theft of trade secrets, and obstruction of justice. The three were arrested and made their initial court appearances Thursday. All three are residents of San Jose.
According to the indictment, Samaneh Ghandali is an Iranian national who became a U.S. citizen around 2018; Mohammadjavad Khosravi is an Iranian national who became a U.S. legal permanent resident around 2019; and Soroor Ghandali was in the United States on a nonimmigrant student visa.
Insider Access at Leading Tech Firms
According to the indictment, the defendants used their positions at prominent technology companies focused on mobile computer processors to gain access to sensitive internal information. Samaneh and Soroor Ghandali worked at Google before moving to a second firm identified in court documents only as “Company 3.” Khosravi worked at a separate company referred to as “Company 2.”
Prosecutors allege the defendants transferred more than 300 files – including trade secrets related to processor security and cryptography – to unauthorized third-party platforms, personal devices, and work devices belonging to each other’s employers. Some of that data, the indictment alleges, was ultimately transferred to Iran.
A Pattern of Concealment
Federal prosecutors say the defendants went to significant lengths to cover their tracks. After Google’s internal security systems flagged Samaneh Ghandali’s activity and revoked her access in August 2023, she allegedly signed a sworn affidavit falsely claiming she had never shared Google’s confidential information with anyone outside the company. Shortly after, she and Khosravi allegedly began searching online for ways to delete communications, including how long a cell carrier retains messages.
To avoid digital detection methods going forward, the defendants allegedly resorted to manually photographing computer screens rather than electronically exfiltrating documents. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani described this tactic as part of “deliberate steps to evade detection and conceal their identities.”
The night before Samaneh Ghandali and Khosravi traveled to Iran in December 2023, she allegedly photographed approximately 24 screens on her husband’s work computer containing Company 2 trade secrets. While in Iran, prosecutors say a personal device linked to Samaneh Ghandali accessed those photographs, and Khosravi accessed additional Company 2 confidential information.
Federal Response
The defendants are scheduled to return to court Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen. All three are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. If convicted, each faces up to 10 years in prison per trade secret-related count and up to 20 years on the obstruction charge, along with fines of up to $250,000 per count.
The case is being prosecuted by the National Security and Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. FBI SAC Virmani called the alleged conduct a “calculated betrayal of trust,” and “protecting Silicon Valley innovation and defending the groundbreaking technologies that drive our economy and national security is a top priority for the FBI.”
