Three Former Google Engineers Indicted Over Trade Secret Transfers to Iran
Source: The Hacker News
Ravie Lakshmanan
Feb 20, 2026 – Insider Threat / Corporate Espionage
Two former Google engineers and one of their husbands have been indicted in the United States for allegedly stealing trade secrets from the search giant and other tech firms and transferring the information to unauthorized locations, including Iran.
- Samaneh Ghandali, 41
- Mohammadjavad Khosravi (aka Mohammad Khosravi), 40 – husband of Samaneh
- Soroor Ghandali, 32 – Samaneh’s sister
All three are Iranian nationals residing in San Jose. They were arrested on Thursday and made their initial appearances in federal district court in California.
Allegations
According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ):
- The Ghandali sisters previously worked at Google before moving to a second technology company (referred to as Company 3).
- Khosravi was employed at a different firm (Company 2).
- All three held positions related to mobile computer processors.
“As part of the alleged scheme to commit trade‑secret theft, the defendants used their employment to obtain access to confidential and sensitive information,” the DoJ said in a press release.
— Justice Department press release
- The defendants allegedly exfiltrated confidential documents—including trade secrets related to processor security, cryptography, and other technologies—from Google and other companies to unauthorized third‑party and personal locations, to each other’s work devices, and to Iran.
- Samaneh transferred hundreds of files to a third‑party communications platform, using channels named after each defendant’s first name.
- Soroor also exfiltrated numerous Google‑related files to the same channels while employed at Company 3.
- The stolen files were later copied to personal devices, a work device belonging to Khosravi, and a work device issued to Soroor by Company 3.
The defendants then attempted to conceal their actions by:
- Submitting false, signed affidavits.
- Destroying the exfiltrated files from electronic devices.
- Manually photographing screens containing the documents instead of transferring them via the messaging app.
“After Google’s internal security systems detected Samaneh Ghandali’s activity and Google revoked her access to company resources in August 2023, Samaneh Ghandali allegedly executed a signed affidavit claiming she had not shared Google’s confidential information with anyone outside the company,” the DoJ added.
Additional alleged conduct
- Samaneh and Khosravi searched online for methods to delete communications and data, including queries about how long a cellular service provider retains “messages to print out for court.”
- They continued accessing Google trade secrets stored on personal devices, manually photographing hundreds of computer screens of both Google’s and Company 2’s sensitive information for an unspecified period lasting months.
- On the night before traveling to Iran in December 2023, Samaneh allegedly captured ≈ 24 photographs of Khosravi’s work computer screen that contained Company 2 trade‑secret information. These images were later accessed from a personal device associated with Samaneh while she was in Iran.
Potential Penalties
If convicted, each defendant faces:
| Charge | Maximum Penalty |
|---|---|
| Trade‑secret theft (each count) | 10 years imprisonment + $250,000 fine |
| Obstruction of justice (one count) | 20 years imprisonment + $250,000 fine |
The development comes less than a month after another ex‑Google engineer, Linwei Ding, was convicted in the United States.
for stealing thousands of the company's confidential documents to build a startup in China.
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