The FBI has offered a $200,000 reward for information leading to the capture of Monica Witt, a former U.S. Air Force counterintelligence specialist who defected to Iran in 2013 and was later charged with espionage. According to multiple reports, Witt, 47, was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2019 on charges of transmitting national defense information to the Iranian government.
Key Takeaways
The FBI has offered a $200,000 reward for information leading to the capture of Monica Witt, a former U.S. Air Force counterintelligence specialist charged with spying for Iran in 2019. Witt defected to Iran in 2013 and is accused of transmitting classified national defense information to Tehran.
- FBI offers $200,000 reward for Monica Witt's capture
- Witt indicted on espionage charges in 2019 for sharing classified info with Iran
- She defected to Iran in 2013 and remains at large
- Allegedly provided information endangering U.S. personnel abroad
- FBI believes someone knows her whereabouts
Witt served in the Air Force between 1997 and 2008, where she was trained in the Farsi language and deployed overseas on classified counterintelligence missions. She later worked as a Defense Department contractor until 2010. The FBI alleges that Witt defected to Iran after attending conferences promoting anti-Western propaganda.
The indictment states that Witt placed sensitive and classified U.S. national defense information at risk, endangering U.S. personnel and their families stationed abroad. She is also accused of conducting research on behalf of the Iranian regime to target her former colleagues in the U.S. government. According to CBS News, Witt worked with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an elite military force tasked with expanding Tehran's influence globally.
Daniel Wierzbicki, special agent in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Counterintelligence and Cyber Division, stated that Witt allegedly betrayed her oath to the Constitution by defecting to Iran. The FBI believes that someone knows something about her whereabouts and is urging anyone with information to come forward.
Witt remains at large and may be using aliases, including Fatemah Zahra or Narges Witt. Anyone with information about Witt is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Tips can also be shared with local FBI offices, the nearest American embassy or consulate, or submitted via tips.fbi.gov.
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