Three Silicon Valley engineers have been arrested and charged with stealing trade secrets from Google and other U.S. technology companies and transferring sensitive data to unauthorized locations, including Iran, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Samaneh Ghandali, 41, Soroor Ghandali, 32, and Mohammadjavad Khosravi, also known as Mohammad Khosravi, 40, all of San Jose, were indicted by a federal grand jury.
The indictment charges the trio with conspiracy to commit trade secret theft, theft and attempted theft of trade secrets, and obstruction of justice.
Prosecutors allege the defendants worked at technology companies specializing in mobile computer processors. Samaneh Ghandali and Soroor Ghandali were previously employed at Google before moving to another Santa Clara-based technology company identified in court documents as “Company 3.” Khosravi worked at a separate San Diego-based technology firm referred to as “Company 2.”
Authorities claim the defendants accessed confidential information and exfiltrated sensitive documents, including trade secrets related to processor security, cryptography and other advanced technologies. The indictment alleges the files were transferred to unauthorized personal and third-party locations, including devices linked to each other’s employers and locations in Iran.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian said the defendants exploited their positions to steal confidential trade secrets and emphasized that federal authorities will continue to prosecute individuals who unlawfully take sensitive technologies.
The indictment further alleges that while employed at Google, Samaneh Ghandali transferred hundreds of files, including proprietary trade secrets, to a third-party communications platform. Soroor Ghandali is also accused of transferring protected Google files during her employment.
Prosecutors allege the defendants attempted to conceal their activities by submitting false signed affidavits to victim companies, destroying files and records from electronic devices, and hiding the methods used to transfer the data.
A Google spokesperson said the company discovered the alleged misconduct through routine security monitoring and referred the matter to law enforcement after conducting an internal investigation. The company stated it has strengthened safeguards to protect confidential information, including limiting employee access to sensitive data, requiring device authentication and two-factor authentication, and logging file transfers to third-party platforms.
According to the indictment, Samaneh Ghandali became a U.S. citizen around 2018. Mohammadjavad Khosravi became a U.S. legal permanent resident around 2019, and Soroor Ghandali was in the United States on a nonimmigrant student visa.
The case remains ongoing.
