Latest on search for ex-officer Monica Witt, an alleged spy for Iran

The FBI is offering a $200,000 reward for information leading to the capture and prosecution of a former United States military employee accused of spying for Iran.

Monica Witt, a former defense contractor and intelligence technical sergeant of the U.S Air Force, was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2019 on charges of espionage, including transmitting national defense information to the Middle Eastern country’s government.

Witt, 47, served in the U.S. military between 1997 and 2008 before working as a U.S. government contractor until 2010. Her military service and contracting employment provided her access to top secret information relating to foreign intelligence and counterintelligence, including the true identities of U.S. Intelligence Community undercover personnel.

In 2013, she defected to Iran, the FBI said.

“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,” FBI Washington Field Office’s Counterintelligence and Cyber Division Special Agent Daniel Wierzbicki said in a news release. “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.”

‘Endangering U.S. personnel and their families stationed abroad’

According to the indictment filed in the District of Columbia, Witt subsequently provided information to the government of Iran, placing at risk sensitive and classified U.S. national defense information and programs.

“Witt allegedly intentionally provided information endangering U.S personnel and their families stationed abroad,” the FBI wrote in the release. “She also allegedly conducted research on behalf of the Iranian regime to allow them to target her former colleagues in the U.S. government.”

The FBI said Witt’s alleged actions has benefitted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps which has elements responsible for intelligence collection, unconventional warfare, and providing support to terrorist organizations targeting Americans.