Silicon Valley engineers charged in Google trade secrets transfer to Iran

A federal grand jury has indicted three Silicon Valley engineers for allegedly stealing technology data from Google and semiconductor firms and transferring it to Iran.

Prosecutors announced Thursday that Samaneh Ghandali, Soroor Ghandali, and Mohammadjavad Khosravi were arrested in San Jose and appeared in federal district court the same day.

The indictment describes the defendants as Iranian nationals. Soroor Ghandali was in the country on a student visa, while Samaneh Ghandali later became a US citizen.

Mohammadjavad Khosravi, Samaneh’s husband, held US permanent residency.

Khosravi had previously served in the Iranian army, prosecutors said.

Authorities charged them with conspiracy to commit trade secret theft, theft, and attempted theft of trade secrets, and obstruction of justice.

The charges relate to the alleged transfer of semiconductor and processor information obtained from technology companies.

Chip firms targeted

Prosecutors allege the defendants used their roles at semiconductor and technology firms to access confidential documents.

These included files tied to processor security systems, encryption methods, and system architecture used in mobile devices.

Samaneh and Soroor previously worked at Google before joining another firm identified as Company 3. Khosravi was employed at Company 2, which develops system-on-chip platforms.

System-on-chip technology combines computing components into a single chip.

These chips power smartphones, including Android devices using Snapdragon processors and Apple’s A-series chips used in iPhones.

Google said it detected suspicious activity through internal security monitoring and referred the matter to law enforcement.

The company said it uses safeguards including access restrictions, two-factor authentication, and monitoring file transfers.

Concealment steps

According to prosecutors, the defendants allegedly transferred confidential data through a communications platform to private channels.

They then copied the files to personal devices, shared work computers, and systems located in Iran.

Authorities said the transfer methods were designed to conceal identities and avoid detection.

After Google flagged Samaneh’s activity in August 2023 and revoked her access, she allegedly signed an affidavit falsely stating she had not shared confidential information.

Investigators also found a laptop linked to Samaneh and Khosravi was used to search for ways to delete communications and determine how long mobile carriers retain message records.

Prosecutors also alleged the couple photographed screens displaying corporate data.

On the night before travelling to Iran in December 2023, Samaneh reportedly took photographs of Khosravi’s work computer containing semiconductor information.

While in Iran, a device connected to Samaneh accessed those images, and Khosravi accessed confidential system-on-chip architecture data belonging to his employer.

Penalties

Prosecutors said the semiconductor designs had economic value because competitors could not easily replicate or obtain them independently.

Disclosure could benefit rival companies or foreign entities seeking processor technology.

If convicted, each defendant faces penalties. Trade secret charges carry a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison per count.

Obstruction of justice charges carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years per count.

Each charge also includes fines of up to $250,000.