FBI offering $200K reward for former counterintelligence agent charged for spying for Iran
The FBI is offering a $200,000 reward for information leading to the capture and prosecution of Monica Witt, a former U.S. service member and counterintelligence agent. (Photo courtesy of the FBI)
The FBI announced that the agency is offering a $200,000 reward for information leading to the capture and prosecution of Monica Witt.
Witt is a former U.S. service member and counterintelligence agent who was indicted by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. in Feb. 2019 on charges of espionage, including transmitting national defense information to the government of Iran, according to an FBI release.
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Witt defected to Iran in 2013 and an indictment referenced by the FBI reveals that she subsequently furnished information to the government of Iran, placing at risk sensitive and classified U.S. national defense information and programs.
The FBI is offering a $200,000 reward for information leading to the capture and prosecution of Monica Witt, a former U.S. service member and counterintelligence agent. (Photo courtesy of the FBI)
According to the FBI, Witt is accused of deliberately providing information endangering U.S personnel and their families stationed overseas.
Witt also allegedly researched information for Iran to allow them to target her former colleagues in the U.S. government.
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FBI officials noted that Witt’s defection to Iran had aided the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has material responsible for intelligence collection, unconventional warfare, and providing direct support to terrorist groups targeting American citizens and interests.
Although Witt has been indicted for her crimes, the FBI added that she remains at large.
Who is Monica Witt?
The backstory:
According to the FBI, Monica Witt is a former active-duty U.S. Air Force intelligence specialist and special agent for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
The agency explained that she also served in the military between 1997 and 2008 before transitioning to working as a U.S. government contractor until 2010.
The FBI is offering a $200,000 reward for information leading to the capture and prosecution of Monica Witt, a former U.S. service member and counterintelligence agent. (Photo courtesy of the FBI)
Witt’s military service and contracting employment granted her access to top secret information pertaining to foreign intelligence and counterintelligence.
FBI requesting information about Witt
What you can do:
FBI officials are asking anyone with information about Monica Witt to contact the agency at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Moreover, individuals can also call their local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate or submit a tip via tips.fbi.gov.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by an FBI release. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.