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
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
🎯
suspect
Lead #1Roozbeh Sabahi - Iranian national and Mabna Institute contractor; speaks Farsi; believed to reside in Iran
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evidence
Lead #2Unauthorized access to computer systems at 144 U.S. universities and 176 foreign universities; theft of proprietary research data
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contact
Lead #3Connection to Mabna Institute, a private Iranian government contractor performing work at behest of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Roozbeh Sabahi, an Iranian contractor for the Mabna Institute, is wanted for orchestrating a massive cyber espionage scheme that compromised approximately 144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, and numerous government agencies and private companies between 2018 and beyond. The conspiracy involved unauthorized access to computer systems, theft of proprietary research and data, and sale of stolen information to Iranian government entities and universities at the direction of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Sabahi remains at large in Iran, and investigators seek information about his whereabouts and any additional victims or co-conspirators involved in this transnational hacking operation.
Case
#988
United States (multiple locations); Iran
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 #4Stolen data sold to Iranian universities and Iranian government entities; identify additional buyers or recipients of stolen information
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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
Case Information
Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:July 12, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:July 12, 2026