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Current and former members of the United States Intelligence Community

The person at the center of this case

Current and former members of the United States Intelligence Community

Case
#1174
SourceFBI WantedUpdated Mar 15, 2026
Iran
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); United States District Court, District of Columbia; United States District Court, Southern District of New York
Cold Case · Open
7 years waiting · since 2019

BEHZAD MESRI

Justice for Current and former members of the United States Intelligence Community — the trail went cold in 2019, but the truth hasn't.

Start here

Key leads to think about

🎯
suspect
Lead #1

What is Mesri's current location and operational status within Iran?

🔍
evidence
Lead #2

How were the approximately $6 million in Bitcoin extortion demands tracked and what payment methods were used?

💡
clue
Lead #3

What specific U.S. Intelligence Community members or agencies were targeted, and what proprietary data was successfully stolen?

Behzad Mesri, CEO of an Iranian entity allegedly working for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is wanted for orchestrating a sophisticated cyber campaign targeting current and former U.S. Intelligence Community members. Between 2017 and 2019, he was indicted on multiple counts including computer intrusion, aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, and attempted extortion for approximately $6 million in Bitcoin. Mesri remains at large in Iran, and locating him requires international cooperation to disrupt ongoing cyber threats against U.S. national security personnel.

Case
#1174
SourceFBI WantedUpdated Mar 15, 2026
Iran
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); United States District Court, District of Columbia; United States District Court, Southern District of New York

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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 #4

Does Mesri maintain communications or financial networks outside Iran that could aid in apprehension?

Have information about any of these leads?

Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.

Official wording

Source Narrative

Computer Intrusion; Aggravated Identity Theft; Aiding and Abetting; Computer Fraud – Unauthorized Access to a Protected Computer; Wire Fraud; Computer Fraud – Threatening to Impair the Confidentiality of Information; Computer Fraud – Threatening to Damage a Protected Computer/Impair the Confidentiality of Information; Interstate Transmission of an Extortionate Communication Caution: Behzad Mesri is wanted for his alleged involvement in criminal activities to include computer intrusion and aggravated identity theft. Mesri was the CEO of an Iranian entity that allegedly worked at the behest of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and was allegedly used in furtherance of a malicious cyber campaign targeting current and former members of the United States Intelligence Community.

On February 8, 2019, a grand jury in the United States District Court, District of Columbia, indicted Mesri, and others , and a federal arrest warrant was issued for him after he was charged with conspiracy, attempted computer intrusions, and aggravated identity theft. Mesri was previously charged with unauthorized access to computer systems, stealing proprietary data from those systems, and attempted extortion for approximately $6 million in Bitcoin.

On November 8, 2017, a grand jury in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, indicted Mesri and a federal arrest warrant was issued for him after he was charged with Computer Fraud – Unauthorized Access to a Protected Computer; Wire Fraud; Computer Fraud – Threatening to Impair the Confidentiality of Information; Computer Fraud – Threatening to Damage a Protected Computer/Impair the Confidentiality of Information; Interstate Transmission of an Extortionate Communication; and Aggravated Identity Theft. Remarks: Mesri is known to speak Farsi and resides in Iran.

Timeline of Events

🕵️
2017-11-08

Initial Indictment

Grand jury in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, indicted Mesri for Computer Fraud, Wire Fraud, Threatening to Impair Confidentiality of Information, and Aggravated Identity Theft. Federal arrest warrant issued.

🕵️
2019-02-08

Second Indictment

Grand jury in the United States District Court, District of Columbia, indicted Mesri for conspiracy, attempted computer intrusions, and aggravated identity theft related to malicious cyber campaign targeting U.S. Intelligence Community members.

Case Information

Incident:November 8, 2017
Last Updated:April 29, 2026

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Case Information

Incident:November 8, 2017
Last Updated:April 29, 2026