The FBI introduced Thursday it’s providing a $200,000 reward for info resulting in the apprehension and prosecution of Monica Witt, a former U.S. service member and counterintelligence agent who was indicted by a federal grand jury within the District of Columbia in February 2019 on fees of espionage, together with transmitting nationwide protection info to the Iranian authorities.
Witt, a former active-duty U.S. Air Drive intelligence specialist and particular agent for the Air Drive Workplace of Particular Investigations, served within the navy between 1997 and 2008, earlier than working as a U.S. authorities contractor till 2010, in keeping with a information launch from the FBI Washington Discipline Workplace.
The 47-year-old’s navy service and contracting employment offered her entry to secret and prime secret info referring to international intelligence and counterintelligence, together with the true names of U.S. Intelligence Neighborhood undercover personnel.
Officers allege that in 2013, Witt defected to Iran and offered info to the nation’s authorities, putting delicate and categorised U.S. nationwide protection info and applications in danger, in keeping with the indictment.
She allegedly deliberately offered info endangering U.S. personnel and their households stationed overseas, and performed analysis on behalf of the Iranian regime to permit them to focus on her former colleagues within the U.S. authorities.
The FBI mentioned Witt’s defection to Iran has benefited the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has components chargeable for intelligence assortment, unconventional warfare and offering direct help to a number of terrorist organizations concentrating on U.S. residents and pursuits.
Whereas Witt has been indicted for her alleged crimes, she stays at giant.
She is understood to talk Farsi and reside in Iran, and could also be utilizing aliases, together with Fatemah Zahra or Narges Witt.
The FBI mentioned it’s persevering with to actively work to seek out Witt and convey her to justice.
“Monica Witt allegedly betrayed her oath to the Structure greater than a decade in the past by defecting to Iran and offering the Iranian regime Nationwide Protection Info and certain continues to help their nefarious actions,” mentioned Daniel Wierzbicki, particular agent answerable for the FBI Washington Discipline Workplace’s Counterintelligence and Cyber Division.
“The FBI has not forgotten and believes that in this important second in Iran’s historical past, there’s somebody who is aware of one thing about her whereabouts,” Wierzbicki continued.
“The FBI needs to listen to from you so you possibly can assist us apprehend Witt and convey her to justice.”
Anybody with details about Witt is requested to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Ideas can be shared with native FBI workplaces, the closest American embassy or consulate, or submitted by way of ideas.fbi.gov.
