Three people were indicted in the United States on Thursday accused of stealing trade secrets from Google and other technology firms and moving files, including to Iran, the U.S. Department of Justice press release said.
KEY FACTS
- Incident Indictment for trade secret theft and obstruction of justice
- Defendants Samaneh Ghandali, Mohammadjavad Khosravi and Soroor Ghandali, all Iranian nationals residing in San Jose
- Alleged targets Files related to processor security, cryptography and Google’s Tensor processor
- Potential penalties Up to 10 years per trade secret count and up to 20 years for obstruction plus fines
The indictment charges the three with conspiring to commit trade secret theft, theft and attempted theft of trade secrets, and obstruction of justice. The defendants were arrested in San Jose and made initial appearances in federal district court. The indictment is posted on CourtListener.
The filing lists that the two sisters previously worked at Google before joining another technology company identified as Company 3. Khosravi worked at a different employer identified as Company 2. All three held roles involving mobile computer processors.
The charges describe the transfer of hundreds of files to a third party communications platform, to personal devices, and to work devices associated with each other’s employers and to Iran. The material includes alleged trade secrets related to processor security, cryptography and design elements tied to Google’s Tensor processor.
The filing further records that the defendants concealed their actions by submitting false signed affidavits, deleting files, and manually photographing screens. The filing records that one defendant copied 24 photographs of a co-defendant’s work computer the night before traveling to Iran in December 2023 and later accessed those images from a personal device in Iran.
WHY IT MATTERS
The case highlights exposure risks for proprietary processor research and the legal consequences tied to alleged exfiltration of sensitive design and security information. Companies may reassess access controls and data loss prevention measures in response.