Three engineers based in San Jose, California, have reportedly been indicted on charges of stealing trade secrets from Google and other technology companies and passing sensitive data to Iran.
According to US press reports, Samaneh Ghandali, 41, her sister Soroor Ghandali, 32, and Mohammadjavad Khosravi, 40, who is Samaneh's husband, were arrested on Thursday and appeared in federal court the same day. All three are Iranian nationals. Khosravi previously served in the Iranian army.
Prosecutors allege the trio exploited their positions at leading semiconductor firms to obtain hundreds of confidential files relating to processor security and cryptography, including materials concerning Qualcomm's Snapdragon system-on-chip technology, which powers most high-end Android devices.
The defendants allegedly routed stolen files through a third-party messaging platform before copying material to personal devices and transferring data to Iran.
After Google's security systems flagged suspicious activity in August 2023, the group allegedly photographed computer screens to circumvent digital monitoring tools.
Google said it had detected the alleged theft through routine security monitoring and immediately notified law enforcement.
Each defendant faces up to 10 years in prison per trade secret charge and up to 20 years for obstruction of justice.