Abouzar Rahmati, a 43-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen residing in Great Falls, Virginia, was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison for acting as an illegal agent of the Iranian government in the United States. The sentencing took place in U.S. District Court and was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Rahmati previously worked as a contractor for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He pleaded guilty on April 16, 2025, to charges of acting as an agent of the Iranian government without prior notification to the Attorney General and conspiracy to do so. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan, who also ordered Rahmati to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
The announcement included statements from Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division and FBI Special Agent in Charge Daniel Wierzbicki of the Counterintelligence and Cyber Division.
Court documents reveal that between December 2017 and June 2024, Rahmati collaborated with Iranian government officials and intelligence operatives while residing in the United States. His activities included meeting with Iranian intelligence officers during trips to Iran, communicating with them under a cover story designed to conceal his actions, obtaining employment with an FAA contractor that provided him access to sensitive non-public information about the U.S. aviation sector, and gathering both open-source and non-public materials about the U.S. solar energy industry which he then supplied to Iranian intelligence officers.
“By secretly doing the bidding of the Iranian government, Mr. Rahmati violated the trust placed in him as a U.S. citizen and as a federal contractor with access to sensitive information,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Ensuring that sensitive U.S. information does not fall into the hands of hostile foreign intelligence services remains one of our highest priorities.”
“Rahmati exploited his trusted position to obtain sensitive information about the U.S. aviation sector and share it with the Iranian government,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Wierzbicki. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to disrupt threats to U.S. critical infrastructure, especially those emanating from the nefarious activities of Iranian intelligence officers who seek to harm our nation.”
In August 2017, Rahmati offered his services directly through a senior official connected with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security—an individual he knew from university studies.
By December 2017, Rahmati traveled back to Iran where he met face-to-face with intelligence operatives and agreed not only to collect data on America’s solar energy industry but also use academic discussions as a cover for future communications.
Upon returning stateside in early 2018, he gathered private-sector materials related to solar energy industries within America; these were later passed along at request from an official representing Iran’s Vice President for Science and Technology.
Furthering his role under direction from Tehran officials while working as an FAA contractor inside America allowed him access which led him downloading approximately 172 GB worth company files—later stored on removable media devices transported into Iran where delivered sensitive documentation occurred during April 2022 meetings.
At those meetings held that month inside Iran’s borders—with both himself & brother present—Iranian agents expressed their desire for new technology or ideas unavailable domestically; they also discussed potential financial rewards such as low-interest loans or grants if such material could be brought into country by Rahmati.
Later that same month responding again at direction from Tehran authorities resulted additional transmission including details relating solar panel technologies alongside specifics involving FAA operations plus airport & air traffic control tower data—all sent via brother living locally ensuring further handover toward local intelligence personnel.
The investigation was conducted by FBI’s Washington Field Office aided substantially by FAA’s Office Counterintelligence & Technical Operations teams.
Prosecution efforts were led jointly by Assistant U.S Attorneys Christopher Tortorice & former Kimberly Paschall (District Columbia), along with Trial Attorneys Beau Barnes/Alexander Wharton (National Security Division). Significant support came additionally courtesy office Eastern District Virginia.
