WASHINGTON – A former contractor for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been sentenced for illegally acting as an agent of the Iranian government, according to an announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The case centered on the defendant, [Note: Defendant’s full name would be here, e.g., “John Doe”], who used the alias “Rahmati.” Court documents reveal that in April 2022, Rahmati responded to taskings from Iranian government officials by sending sensitive information to a brother living in Iran, with the instruction that the files be delivered to Iranian intelligence.
The transmitted data included documents related to solar energy, solar panels, and critically, details concerning the FAA, U.S. airports, and U.S. air traffic control towers. While the full scope of the potential damage is unclear, the compromise of information related to aviation infrastructure is considered a significant national security concern.
The investigation was led by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which received substantial assistance from the FAA’s own Office of Counterintelligence and Technical Operations.
The prosecution was a collaborative effort. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tortorice and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Paschall of the District of Columbia prosecuted the case, alongside Trial Attorneys Beau Barnes and Alexander Wharton from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia also provided significant assistance.
The sentencing marks the conclusion of a case highlighting ongoing efforts by foreign nations to target and acquire sensitive information from within U.S. government agencies.
