The person at the center of this case
Multiple victims: 144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, 5 U.S. government agencies, 36 U.S. private companies, 11 foreign companies, and 2 international NGOs
Cold Case · Open - Wanted
8 years waiting · since 2018
ABUZAR GOHARI MOQADAM
Justice for Multiple victims: 144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, 5 U.S. government agencies, 36 U.S. private companies, 11 foreign 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 #1Where is Moqadam currently located within Iran and what is his current operational status?
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evidence
Lead #2What specific proprietary data was stolen and to which Iranian government entities was it sold?
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person
Lead #3Who are the other members of the Mabna Institute conspiracy and have they been apprehended?
Abuzar Gohari Moqadam is wanted for his role in a sophisticated cyber-espionage scheme that targeted over 144 U.S. universities, federal agencies, and private companies to steal proprietary data and sell it to Iranian entities. Working with the Mabna Institute, a private Iranian government contractor, Moqadam and associates compromised computer systems across the United States and 21 foreign countries, affecting approximately 320 universities and dozens of government and private sector organizations. Despite a federal indictment issued in February 2018, Moqadam remains at large in Iran, making his apprehension dependent on international cooperation and intelligence efforts.
Case
#874
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.
📞
contact
Lead #4What communication channels or financial networks were used to facilitate the sale of stolen data to Iran?
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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
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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
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:October 29, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:October 29, 2026