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, 11 foreign companies, 2 NGOs)
Cold Case · Open - Wanted by FBI
8 years waiting · since 2018
SEYED ALI MIRKARIMI
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, 11 foreign companies, 2 NGOs) — the trail went cold in 2018, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
🎯
suspect
Lead #1Why did Mirkarimi target such a broad range of academic and government institutions across multiple countries?
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evidence
Lead #2What specific proprietary data and research information was stolen and sold to Iranian entities?
📞
contact
Lead #3Are there known associates or co-conspirators in the Mabna Institute who may still be conducting similar operations?
Seyed Ali Mirkarimi, a contractor for Iran's Mabna Institute, is wanted for orchestrating a massive cyber espionage scheme that breached over 140 U.S. universities, foreign institutions, and government agencies to steal proprietary data. The stolen information was sold to Iranian customers, including universities and the Iranian government at the direction of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Mirkarimi remains at large in Iran, and investigators seek any information about his current whereabouts or activities.
Case
#1043
Iran
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York; FBI
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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 methods did Mirkarimi use to gain unauthorized access to these secure systems, and are those vulnerabilities still exploitable?
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
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2018-02-07
Federal Indictment Issued
A grand jury 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. A federal arrest warrant was issued.
Case Information
Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:September 9, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:September 9, 2026