News

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with a group of the air force staff in Tehran on Friday. An American woman has been charged with allegedly spying for Iran. [AP]

Ex-Air Force Counterintelligence Agent Charged With Giving Secrets To Iran

By: Ryan Lucas | NPR
Posted on: Wednesday, February 13, 2019

< < Back to

Updated at 12:17 p.m. ET

The Justice Department says Monica Witt defected to Iran and helped its cyberspies target her former compatriots in the U.S. Air Force. [AP]

A former U.S. Air Force counterintelligence specialist allegedly gave national defense secrets to Iran, according to an indictment unsealed on Wednesday by the Justice Department.

Monica Witt defected to Iran in 2013, authorities said. She allegedly provided security officials of the Islamic Republic with the code name and classified mission of a U.S. Defense Department special access program.

Four Iranian nationals also were named in the same indictment with Witt. The Iranians face charges including conspiracy, computer intrusions and identity theft targeting Witt’s former co-workers.

Witt left the Air Force in 2008 and worked as a contractor for two years, officials said. Her work for the government ended in 2010.

Counterintelligence Iran