Silicon Valley engineers charged in Google trade secrets transfer to Iran

A federal grand jury has indicted three Silicon Valley engineers for allegedly stealing technology data from Google and semiconductor firms and transferring it to Iran. Prosecutors announced Thursday that Samaneh Ghandali, Soroor Ghandali, and Mohammadjavad Khosravi were arrested in San Jose and appeared in federal district court the same day. The indictment describes the defendants as Iranian nationals. Soroor Ghandali was in the country on a student visa, while Samaneh Ghandali later became a US citizen. Mohammadjavad Khosravi, Samaneh’s husband, held US permanent residency. Khosravi had previously served in the Iranian army, prosecutors said. Authorities charged them with conspiracy to commit trade secret theft, theft, and attempted theft of trade secrets, and obstruction of justice. The charges relate to the…