A Virginia man, Abouzar Rahmati, has admitted guilt to conspiring and acting as an agent of the Iranian government while working within the United States. The 42-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, residing in Great Falls, Virginia, worked as a contractor for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) between 2017 and 2024.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Rahmati pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges stemming from his alleged collaboration with Iranian government and intelligence officials.
Prior to becoming a U.S. resident, Rahmati served as a 1st Lieutenant in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – an arm of the Iranian military designated by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization – from June 2009 to May 2010.
The DOJ alleges that beginning in December 2017 and continuing through June 2024, Rahmati engaged in activities on behalf of Iranian intelligence operatives and government officials while employed by an FAA contractor. These actions involved:
- Meetings with Iranian intelligence personnel in Iran
- Communication with Iranian authorities under a deceptive guise
- Access to and acquisition of sensitive, non-public information related to the U.S. aviation sector
- Collection and delivery of data regarding the U.S. solar energy industry
The initial contact occurred in August 2017 when Rahmati reportedly offered his services to Iran through a former colleague who held a high-ranking position within the country’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security.
Four months later, Rahmati traveled to Iran where he met with intelligence operatives and government officials. He agreed at that time to gather and provide information concerning the solar industry within the United States.
Upon his return to the U.S. in early 2018, Rahmati reportedly obtained both publicly available and private data pertaining to the solar sector, subsequently delivering it to the office of Iran’s Vice President for Science and Technology.
During his tenure as an FAA contractor, authorities claim Rahmati downloaded at least 175 GB of files. These included sensitive documents concerning:
- The National Aerospace System (NAS)
- Airport Surveillance Radar systems
- Radio frequency data
Rahmati reportedly stored these files on removable media, transporting them to Iran in April 2022. He then provided the materials to government officials and also shared additional information regarding solar energy, FAA operations, U.S. airports, and air traffic control towers with his brother in Iran, instructing him to deliver the data to intelligence authorities.
“Rahmati’s actions represent a serious breach of trust and pose a significant threat to national security,” stated a DOJ spokesperson.
His sentencing is scheduled for August 26th. He faces a potential maximum sentence of ten years in prison for acting as an agent of a foreign government, with an additional five-year penalty possible for conspiracy.
