Three engineers from Silicon Valley have been accused of stealing trade secrets from Google and other companies, transferring sensitive data to Iran.

A federal jury has indicted three engineers from Silicon Valley, Samaneh Ghandali, Soroor Ghandali, and Mohammadjavad Khosravi, for stealing trade secrets from Google and other technology companies after they transferred sensitive data to Iran. The three, Iranian citizens, are accused of conspiracy, theft, and obstruction of justice.

The defendants exploited their positions in top companies to obtain confidential files related to processor security and cryptography. Google discovered the illegal activity through internal monitoring and informed the authorities. The defendants allegedly used methods to avoid detection, including taking screenshots of sensitive information. If found guilty, they face up to 10 years in prison for theft and up to 20 years for obstruction of justice.