The person at the center of this case
Multiple U.S. and international universities, government agencies, and private companies
Cold Case · Open
8 years waiting · since 2018
MOHAMMED REZA SABAHI
Justice for Multiple U.S. and international universities, government agencies, and private companies — the trail went cold in 2018, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
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suspect
Lead #1Why did Sabahi target academic institutions specifically, and what strategic value did stolen research hold for Iranian government interests?
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evidence
Lead #2What proprietary data and research were stolen, and how was it subsequently used by Iranian entities?
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location
Lead #3What is Sabahi's current location and operational status within Iran?
Mohammed Reza Sabahi, an Iranian contractor for the Mabna Institute, is wanted for orchestrating a massive computer hacking and data theft scheme targeting 144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, five U.S. government agencies, and numerous private companies between 2015 and 2018. The conspiracy involved unauthorized access to computer systems, theft of proprietary research and data, and sale of stolen information to Iranian government entities and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Sabahi remains at large in Iran, and his capture would significantly disrupt ongoing Iranian cyber espionage operations against American academic and government institutions.
Case
#1176
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.
👤
person
Lead #4Who were Sabahi's co-conspirators and other contractors working with the Mabna Institute?
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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: Mohammed Reza Sabahi 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. Sabahi was a contractor for 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 Sabahi on computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges, and a federal arrest warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Remarks: Sabahi is known to speak Farsi and resides in Iran.
Timeline of Events
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2015
Hacking campaign begins
Unauthorized access to U.S. and foreign university computer systems initiated
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2018-02-07
Federal indictment
Grand jury in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York indicted Sabahi on computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:January 1, 2015
Last Updated:June 14, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:January 1, 2015
Last Updated:June 14, 2026