The FBI revealed on Thursday that they are offering a $200,000 reward for information that leads to the capture and prosecution of Monica Witt. Witt, a former U.S. service member and counterintelligence agent, was charged by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia in February 2019 with espionage for allegedly passing national defense information to Iran.
Monica Witt, who once served as an intelligence specialist and special agent with the U.S. Air Force, was on active duty from 1997 to 2008. Following her military career, she worked as a U.S. government contractor until 2010, as detailed in a statement from the FBI Washington Field Office.
At 47, Witt’s time in the military and as a contractor granted her access to sensitive intelligence, including classified details about foreign operations and the identities of covert U.S. Intelligence Community operatives.
The indictment claims that Witt defected to Iran in 2013, where she allegedly shared classified U.S. national defense information with the Iranian government, thereby jeopardizing various defense programs.
The FBI’s reward of $200,000 is aimed at locating Monica Witt, age 47, a former U.S. intelligence agent. (FBI)
She is accused of deliberately providing information that endangered U.S. personnel and their families overseas. Moreover, she is suspected of conducting research for the Iranian government to help them target her former U.S. government associates.
The FBI said Witt’s defection to Iran has benefitted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has elements responsible for intelligence collection, unconventional warfare and providing direct support to multiple terrorist organizations targeting U.S. citizens and interests.
Monica Witt is wanted by the FBI in relation to espionage charges. (FBI)
While Witt has been indicted for her alleged crimes, she remains at large. She is known to speak Farsi and reside in Iran, and may be using aliases, including Fatemah Zahra or Narges Witt.
The FBI said it is continuing to actively work to find Witt and bring her to justice.
“Monica Witt allegedly betrayed her oath to the Constitution more than a decade ago by defecting to Iran and providing the Iranian regime National Defense Information and likely continues to support their nefarious activities,” said Daniel Wierzbicki, special agent in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Counterintelligence and Cyber Division.
Monica Witt is believed to be living in Iran, according to FBI officials. (FBI)
“The FBI has not forgotten and believes that during this critical moment in Iran’s history, there is someone who knows something about her whereabouts,” Wierzbicki continued. “The FBI wants to hear from you so you can help us apprehend Witt and bring her to justice.”
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.
