A 42-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Great Falls, Virginia, pleaded guilty on 17 April 17 to serious conspiracy charges while working for an FAA contractor.
He admitted to acting as an agent of the Iranian government within the United States without notifying the Attorney General.
This breach of trust involved sensitive information about the U.S. aviation and solar energy sectors, while the man worked as an FAA contractor.
Rahmati’s Covert Activities
From December 2017 to June 2024, Abouzar Rahmati collaborated with Iranian government officials and intelligence operatives.
He met with Iranian intelligence officers in Iran and communicated with them using a fabricated cover story. This story portrayed his actions as academic research discussions. His role included gathering and sharing sensitive, non-public information.
Rahmati’s activities began in August 2017 when he reached out to a senior Iranian official. This official had ties to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security and was a former university colleague of Rahmati.
By December 2017, Rahmati traveled to Iran. There, he agreed to collect data on the U.S. solar energy industry and share it with Iranian officials. He also committed to maintaining his cover story for future communications.
Exploiting FAA Contractor Role
Upon returning to the U.S. in 2018, Rahmati secured a job with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) contractor, referred to as U.S. Company 1.
This position gave him access to restricted FAA documents. He exploited this role by downloading 172 GB of sensitive files. These included details about the National Aerospace System (NAS), airport surveillance radar systems, and radio frequency data.
Rahmati stored these files on removable media and took them to Iran in April 2022. There, he handed over the sensitive FAA documents to Iranian officials.
Additionally, he sent information about solar energy, FAA operations, U.S. airports, and air traffic control towers to his brother in Iran. His brother then passed these files to Iranian intelligence on Rahmati’s behalf.
Legal Consequences
Rahmati’s sentencing is set for August 26, 2025. He faces up to 10 years in prison for acting as an unregistered foreign agent and up to five years for conspiracy. A federal judge will determine his sentence, considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Investigation and Prosecution
The case was announced by key figures, including Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia, and Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. The FBI’s Washington Field Office led the investigation, with support from the FAA’s Office of Counterintelligence and Technical Operations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tortorice and Kimberly Paschall, along with Trial Attorneys Beau Barnes and Alexander Wharton from the National Security Division, are prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia also provided significant assistance.
