The person at the center of this case
Multiple U.S. and international institutions (144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, 5 U.S. government agencies, 36 U.S. private companies, and international organizations)
Cold Case · Open - Wanted
8 years waiting · since 2018
MOHAMMED REZA SABAHI
Justice for Multiple U.S. and international institutions (144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, 5 U.S. government agencies, 36 U.S. private companies, and international organizations) — the trail went cold in 2018, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
🎯
suspect
Lead #1Where is Sabahi currently located in Iran and what protective measures does he have from Iranian authorities?
🔍
evidence
Lead #2What specific proprietary data and research was stolen and how has it been used by Iranian government entities?
📞
contact
Lead #3Who were the Iranian customers and government officials who received and utilized the stolen data?
Mohammed Reza Sabahi, a contractor for Iran's Mabna Institute, is wanted for orchestrating a massive cyber theft scheme that targeted 144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, and numerous government agencies and private companies to steal proprietary data for the Iranian government and Revolutionary Guard Corps. Between 2013 and 2018, Sabahi and co-conspirators gained unauthorized access to computer systems, exfiltrated sensitive research and data, and sold it to Iranian customers, causing significant damage to American and international institutions. A federal arrest warrant was issued in February 2018, but Sabahi remains at large in Iran, making this case a priority for international cybercrime enforcement.
Case
#1176
United States and international targets
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 #4What other co-conspirators were involved in the scheme and have they been apprehended or identified?
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: 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
🕵️
2018-02-07
Federal Indictment
Grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York indicted Sabahi on computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges; federal arrest warrant issued
Case Information
Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:May 10, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:May 10, 2026