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Current and former members of the United States Intelligence Community (targeted victims of cyber campaign)

The person at the center of this case

Current and former members of the United States Intelligence Community (targeted victims of cyber campaign)

Case
#1174
SourceFBI WantedUpdated Mar 15, 2026
Iran
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); U.S. District Court, District of Columbia; U.S. 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 (targeted victims of cyber campaign) — 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? Is he still actively involved in cyber operations?

🔍
evidence
Lead #2

How extensive is the stolen proprietary data from U.S. systems, and has any of it been weaponized or sold to other threat actors?

📞
contact
Lead #3

Who are the co-conspirators indicted with Mesri, and what are their roles within the IRGC-affiliated entity?

Behzad Mesri, CEO of an Iranian entity allegedly working for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is wanted for leading a sophisticated cyber campaign targeting U.S. Intelligence Community members through computer intrusion, identity theft, and extortion attempts. Mesri and co-conspirators allegedly stole proprietary data and demanded approximately $6 million in Bitcoin, with indictments issued in 2017 and 2019. He 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); U.S. District Court, District of Columbia; U.S. 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.

💡
clue
Lead #4

Can Bitcoin transaction analysis trace the extortion demands and identify financial networks supporting the cyber campaign?

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 Federal Indictment

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

🕵️
2019-02-08

Second Federal Indictment

Grand jury in the United States District Court, District of Columbia, indicted Mesri and others 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:September 10, 2026

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Case Information

Incident:November 8, 2017
Last Updated:September 10, 2026