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
SEYED ALI MIRKARIMI
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 #1Mirkarimi's current location and activities in Iran; any associates or co-conspirators still operating
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evidence
Lead #2Extent of stolen data from 144 U.S. universities and government agencies; how much proprietary research was compromised
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contact
Lead #3Communication channels between Mirkarimi and Iranian government or IRGC officials directing the operation
Seyed Ali Mirkarimi, a contractor for Iran's Mabna Institute, is wanted for orchestrating a massive cyber espionage scheme that targeted 144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, five U.S. government agencies, and dozens of private companies to steal proprietary data and research. Between 2013 and 2018, Mirkarimi and his co-conspirators gained unauthorized access to computer systems and sold stolen intellectual property to Iranian customers, including the Iranian government and Revolutionary Guard Corps. He remains at large in Iran, and authorities seek information on his whereabouts and any additional victims of this sophisticated international hacking operation.
Case
#1043
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 #4Whether additional victims or unauthorized access incidents can be identified among targeted institutions
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: Seyed Ali Mirkarimi 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. Mirkarimi 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 Mirkarimi on computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges, and a federal arrest warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Remarks: Mirkarimi 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 Mirkarimi 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:April 29, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:April 29, 2026