3 Silicon Valley Engineers Indicted for Stealing Trade Secrets for Iran

Samaneh Ghandali, Mohammadjavad Khosravi, and Soroor Ghandali face charges of conspiracy, theft, and obstruction of justice.

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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Three Silicon Valley engineers have been indicted on federal charges of stealing trade secrets from Google and two other tech companies and sending them to Iran. Samaneh Ghandali, Mohammadjavad Khosravi, and Soroor Ghandali, all from San Jose, California, are facing charges that include conspiracy to commit trade secret theft, theft and attempted theft of trade secrets, and obstruction of justice.

Why it matters

This case highlights the ongoing threat of corporate espionage and the theft of sensitive intellectual property, especially when it involves potential national security implications of sharing advanced technologies with adversarial nations. It also underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and vigilance by tech companies to protect their trade secrets.

The details

According to prosecutors, Samaneh Ghandali and Khosravi, who are married, worked at Google and another tech company, respectively, and allegedly stole trade secrets from their employers. Soroor Ghandali, Samaneh's sister, was also indicted and was in the U.S. on a student visa. The trio is accused of photographing hundreds of computer screens displaying confidential information from Google and the other company, and then accessing the photos and other trade secret data while in Iran.

  • In August 2023, Google's internal security systems detected Samaneh Ghandali's alleged activity and revoked her access to company resources.
  • In December 2023, Samaneh and Khosravi traveled to Iran, and the night before their departure, Samaneh allegedly took about 24 photographs of Khosravi's work computer screen with trade secrets from the other tech company.
  • While in Iran, a device linked to Samaneh accessed the photos, and Khosravi accessed other trade secret information.

The players

Samaneh Ghandali

A 41-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen who previously worked at Google and is accused of stealing trade secrets.

Mohammadjavad Khosravi

A 40-year-old legal permanent resident who worked at a tech company and is accused of stealing trade secrets along with his wife, Samaneh Ghandali.

Soroor Ghandali

A 32-year-old sister of Samaneh Ghandali who was in the U.S. on a student visa and is also accused of involvement in the trade secret theft.

Google

The tech company where Samaneh Ghandali previously worked and from which she is accused of stealing trade secrets.

Company 2

The tech company where Mohammadjavad Khosravi worked and from which he is accused of stealing trade secrets.

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What they’re saying

“We have enhanced safeguards to protect our confidential information and immediately alerted law enforcement after discovering this incident.”

— José Castañeda, Google spokesperson (CNBC)

“As alleged, the defendants exploited their positions to steal confidential trade secrets from their employers. Our office will continue to lead the way in protecting American innovation, and we will vigorously prosecute individuals who steal sensitive advanced technologies for improper gain or to benefit countries that wish us ill.”

— Craig H. Missakian, U.S. Attorney (Department of Justice press release)

What’s next

The three defendants are scheduled to appear in court on Friday, February 21, 2026, where they will face charges that could result in up to 10 years in prison for each trade secret charge and up to 20 years for obstruction of justice, along with fines of up to $250,000 per charge.

The takeaway

This case underscores the critical importance of robust cybersecurity measures and vigilance by tech companies to protect their valuable intellectual property, especially in the face of growing threats of corporate espionage and the potential for sensitive technologies to be shared with adversarial nations.