Sensitive Information Leaked To Iran By Former FAA Contractor

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A former Federal Aviation Administration contractor from Great Falls pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday of acting as an agent of the Iranian government in the U.S. without notifying the U.S. Attorney General beforehand.

From at least December 2017 through June 2024, 42-year-old Abouzar Rahmati worked with Iranian government officials and intelligence operatives, acting on their behalf in the U.S., according to court documents.

Rahmati admitted obtaining employment with an FAA contractor with access to sensitive non-public information about the aviation sector, according to court documents. He also obtained open-source and non-public material about the U.S. solar energy industry, which he gave to Iranian intelligence officers.

“The brazen acts of this defendant – acting against the United States while on U.S. soil – is a clear example of how our enemies are willing to take risks in order to do us harm,” said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. “We want to remind anyone with access to our critical infrastructure about the importance of keeping that information out of the hands of our adversaries. I want to commend our prosecutors and law enforcement partners who secured a guilty plea that will keep our country safer.”

Rahmati is due back in court on Aug. 26 for sentencing. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison for acting as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General, and up to five years in prison for conspiracy, according to court documents.