Engineer Charged with Selling Secrets to Iran

Federal prosecutors in Detroit have charged an engineer with sending corporate trade secrets to a brother in Iran. Amin Hasanzadeh (Ha-SAN’-za-day) of Ypsilanti is also accused of lying on immigration forms by failing to disclose his service in the Iranian military.

He has permanent resident status in the U.S., commonly referred to as a green card.

Former Google engineer charged with stealing, selling trade secrets for self-driving car technology@AP reportinghttps://t.co/91u1ifDu8a pic.twitter.com/YSvwZwQwvb

— KATU News (@KATUNews) August 27, 2019

The FBI says the 42-year-old Hasanzadeh sent confidential documents to Iran while working at a Michigan company that serves the auto and aerospace industries.

The government says his responsibilities included work on a supercomputer that had aerospace applications.
The alleged scheme occurred in 2015 and 2016.

Hasanzadeh appeared in court Wednesday and asked for an attorney.
He says he works at the University of Michigan.
He’s in custody until a Friday hearing.