The person at the center of this case
Current and former members of the United States Intelligence Community (targets of cyber campaign)
Justice for Current and former members of the United States Intelligence Community (targets of cyber campaign) — the trail went cold in 2019, but the truth hasn't.
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What is Mesri's current location and operational status within Iran?
How much of the $6 million Bitcoin extortion was successfully obtained?
Who are the co-conspirators and other individuals indicted alongside Mesri?
Behzad Mesri, CEO of an Iranian entity allegedly working for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is wanted for leading a sophisticated cyber campaign targeting U.S. Intelligence Community members through computer intrusion and identity theft. Between 2017 and 2019, Mesri was indicted twice for unauthorized computer access, data theft, wire fraud, and attempted extortion demanding approximately $6 million in Bitcoin. He remains at large in Iran, and his capture would significantly disrupt ongoing state-sponsored cyber operations against American intelligence personnel.
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Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
What specific intelligence personnel or systems were targeted in the cyber campaign?
What is the extent of Mesri's connection to and direction by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Computer Intrusion; Aggravated Identity Theft; Aiding and Abetting; Computer Fraud – Unauthorized Access to a Protected Computer; Wire Fraud; Computer Fraud – Threatening to Impair the Confidentiality of Information; Computer Fraud – Threatening to Damage a Protected Computer/Impair the Confidentiality of Information; Interstate Transmission of an Extortionate Communication Caution: Behzad Mesri is wanted for his alleged involvement in criminal activities to include computer intrusion and aggravated identity theft. Mesri was the CEO of an Iranian entity that allegedly worked at the behest of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and was allegedly used in furtherance of a malicious cyber campaign targeting current and former members of the United States Intelligence Community.
On February 8, 2019, a grand jury in the United States District Court, District of Columbia, indicted Mesri, and others , and a federal arrest warrant was issued for him after he was charged with conspiracy, attempted computer intrusions, and aggravated identity theft. Mesri was previously charged with unauthorized access to computer systems, stealing proprietary data from those systems, and attempted extortion for approximately $6 million in Bitcoin.
On November 8, 2017, a grand jury in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, indicted Mesri and a federal arrest warrant was issued for him after he was charged with Computer Fraud – Unauthorized Access to a Protected Computer; Wire Fraud; Computer Fraud – Threatening to Impair the Confidentiality of Information; Computer Fraud – Threatening to Damage a Protected Computer/Impair the Confidentiality of Information; Interstate Transmission of an Extortionate Communication; and Aggravated Identity Theft. Remarks: Mesri is known to speak Farsi and resides in Iran.
Grand jury in U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, indicted Mesri for Computer Fraud, Wire Fraud, Threatening to Impair Confidentiality, Interstate Transmission of Extortionate Communication, and Aggravated Identity Theft. Federal arrest warrant issued.
Grand jury in U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, indicted Mesri for conspiracy, attempted computer intrusions, and aggravated identity theft related to malicious cyber campaign targeting U.S. Intelligence Community members.