The person at the center of this case
Multiple organizations: 144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, 5 U.S. government agencies, 36 U.S. private companies, 11 foreign private companies, and 2 international NGOs
Cold Case · Open
8 years waiting · since 2018
MOSTAFA SADEGHI
Justice for Multiple organizations: 144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, 5 U.S. government agencies, 36 U.S. private companies, 11 foreign private 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
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suspect
Lead #1Why has Sadeghi remained at large for over 6 years despite the federal indictment, and what is his current operational status?
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evidence
Lead #2What specific proprietary data was stolen from U.S. universities and government agencies, and how has it been utilized by Iranian entities?
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clue
Lead #3Are there other contractors or hackers associated with the Mabna Institute who remain unidentified or at large?
Mostafa Sadeghi is wanted by the FBI for his alleged role in a sophisticated cyber espionage scheme targeting over 140 U.S. universities, government agencies, and private companies. Operating as a contractor for Iran's Mabna Institute and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Sadeghi allegedly hacked into computer systems, stole proprietary data, and sold it to Iranian entities. Despite a federal indictment issued in February 2018, Sadeghi remains at large, believed to be residing in Iran where extradition is unlikely.
Case
#868
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); U.S. District Court for the 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 #4What is the current whereabouts of Sadeghi within Iran, and are there any known associates or family members who could provide leads?
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: Mostafa Sadeghi 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. Sadeghi was a contractor and hacker for hire 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 Sadeghi on computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges, and a federal arrest warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Remarks: Sadeghi is known to speak Farsi and resides in Iran.
Timeline of Events
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2018-02-07
Federal Indictment Issued
A grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York indicted Mostafa Sadeghi on computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges. A federal arrest warrant was issued.
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:October 30, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:October 30, 2026