CNN reported that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is offering a reward of $200,000 for information that could help arrest Monica Witt, a former US Air Force counterintelligence expert who was prosecuted in 2019 on charges of spying for Iran.
In a statement on May 14 (local time), the FBI said that the agency is still searching for Monica Witt, who is believed to have defected to Iran since 2013. The FBI believes that Monica Witt may continue to support the activities that Washington considers harmful to Tehran.
Mr. Daniel Wierzbicki, an agent in charge of counterintelligence and cybersecurity at the FBI office in Washington, said the FBI believes that at the present time someone may know information about Monica Witt's whereabouts.
The FBI wants to get information from people who can help us arrest Monica Witt and bring her to justice," the agency said.
Monica Witt served as a counterintelligence officer in the US Air Force's Special Investigation Office. In the period from 2003 to 2008, her work involved counterintelligence missions in the Middle East.
In 2019, Mr. John Demers, then Assistant Secretary of Justice to the US, accused Monica Witt of being approached and recruited by Iran. After defecting, she was accused of revealing to Iran the existence of an absolutely secret intelligence gathering program, along with the identity of a US intelligence officer. According to the prosecutor, this put this person in danger.
According to the indictment, in the period from January 2012 to May 2015, in Iran and some locations outside the United States, Monica Witt was accused of colluding with Iranian individuals to provide documents and information related to US defense. The prosecutor argued that this information could be used to harm the United States and bring benefits to Iran.
The indictment also stated that after Monica Witt defected, Iranian officials provided her with goods and services, including accommodation and computer equipment, to support her work for the Iranian side.
In addition to Monica Witt, the 2019 indictment also prosecuted 4 Iranian citizens on charges of conspiracy, attempting to hack computers and serious identity theft.
Iran has not yet responded to allegations related to Monica Witt.
