Ex-FAA Contractor Sentenced to Federal Prison

Abouzar Rahmati pleaded guilty to espionage and conspiracy charges earlier this year.

Zach Vasile

Wednesday, August 27, 2025 at 07:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

FAA insignia on a laptop [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Former FAA contractor Abouzar Rahmati was sentenced to one year in federal prison for illegally acting as an agent for the government of Iran.
Rahmati pleaded guilty to passing sensitive nonpublic information about American aviation and solar energy development to Iranian intelligence services over approximately seven years (2017-2024).
The leaked data included details on the National Aerospace System, airport surveillance radar, and FAA/airport specifics, which he delivered in person or via his brother.

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A former FAA contractor was sentenced to one year in federal prison on Tuesday for passing sensitive information to the government of Iran.

Abouzar Rahmati, 43, a naturalized citizen and resident of Great Falls, Virginia, pleaded guilty in April to acting as a foreign agent without registering with the U.S. Attorney General’s Office, and conspiracy to do the same. Rahmati allegedly gave nonpublic information about American aviation and solar energy development to his contacts in Iran’s intelligence service over the course of about seven years from 2017-24.