The person at the center of this case
Multiple institutions: 144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, 5 U.S. government agencies, 36 U.S. private companies, 11 foreign private companies, 2 international NGOs
Cold Case · Open - Wanted by FBI
8 years waiting · since 2018
ROOZBEH SABAHI
Justice for Multiple institutions: 144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, 5 U.S. government agencies, 36 U.S. private companies, 11 foreign private companies, 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 #1How did Sabahi maintain operational security while coordinating hacking activities across multiple continents for the Mabna Institute?
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evidence
Lead #2What specific proprietary data and research was stolen from U.S. and foreign universities that posed national security concerns?
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contact
Lead #3Who are the known associates and co-conspirators within the Mabna Institute and Iranian government that facilitated this operation?
Roozbeh Sabahi is a cybercriminal wanted for leading a massive hacking conspiracy that targeted 144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, five U.S. government agencies, and dozens of private companies to steal proprietary data and sell it to Iranian entities. Operating as a contractor for the Mabna Institute on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Sabahi orchestrated unauthorized computer access and wire fraud schemes affecting institutions across 21 countries. He remains at large in Iran, and locating him requires international cooperation and intelligence sharing to prevent further cyber espionage against American and allied institutions.
Case
#988
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.
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location
Lead #4What is Sabahi's current location and network within Iran, and does he maintain any international communication channels?
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: Roozbeh 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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2018-02-07
Federal Indictment Issued
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
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