The person at the center of this case
Multiple institutions: 144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, 5 U.S. government agencies, 36 U.S. private companies, 11 foreign private companies, and 2 international NGOs
Cold Case · Open
8 years waiting · since 2018
ABUZAR GOHARI MOQADAM
Justice for Multiple institutions: 144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, 5 U.S. government agencies, 36 U.S. private companies, 11 foreign private companies, and 2 international NGOs — the trail went cold in 2018, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
🎯
suspect
Lead #1Moqadam's current whereabouts in Iran and any associates still operating in the cyber-espionage network
🔍
evidence
Lead #2How was the stolen proprietary data from 144 U.S. universities and government agencies transferred to Iranian customers?
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contact
Lead #3Moqadam speaks Farsi and maintains connections to the Mabna Institute; what other individuals were part of this conspiracy?
Abuzar Gohari Moqadam is wanted for his role in a sophisticated cyber-espionage conspiracy that targeted 144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, five U.S. government agencies, and numerous private companies to steal proprietary data and sell it to Iranian entities and the Iranian government. Working as an associate of the Mabna Institute, a private Iranian government contractor, Moqadam allegedly orchestrated unauthorized computer access and wire fraud schemes that compromised sensitive academic and government information. Despite a federal indictment issued in February 2018, Moqadam remains at large in Iran, and locating him requires international cooperation and vigilance from those who may encounter him abroad.
Case
#874
Iran (residence); United States (victims)
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York; Federal Bureau of Investigation
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More leads to consider
Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
💡
clue
Lead #4The scope of victims (320+ institutions across multiple countries) suggests a highly organized operation—what infrastructure or funding enabled this scale?
Have information about any of these leads?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Source Narrative
Conspiracy to Commit Computer Hacking; Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; Computer Fraud - Unauthorized Access for Private Financial Gain; Wire Fraud; Aggravated Identity Theft Caution: Abuzar Gohari Moqadam is wanted for his alleged involvement in criminal activities, including obtaining unauthorized access to computer systems, stealing proprietary data from those systems, and selling that stolen data to Iranian customers such as Iranian universities and the Iranian government. Moqadam was an associate of the Mabna Institute , a private government contractor based in the Islamic Republic of Iran that performed this work for the Iranian government, at the behest of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Victims of the scheme included approximately 144 universities in the United States, 176 foreign universities in 21 countries, five federal and state government agencies in the United States, 36 private companies in the United States, 11 foreign private companies, and two international non-governmental organizations. On February 7, 2018, a grand jury sitting in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York indicted Moqadam on computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges, and a federal arrest warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Remarks: Moqadam is known to speak Farsi and resides in Iran.
Timeline of Events
🕵️
2018-02-07
Federal Indictment Issued
Grand jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York indicted Moqadam on computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges; federal arrest warrant issued
Case Information
Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:May 12, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:May 12, 2026