FBI Offers $200,000 Reward for Fugitive Former Air Force Officer Accused of Espionage

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has announced a bounty of up to $200,000 for details that could lead to the apprehension of Monica Witt, a former US Air Force officer facing espionage charges related to alleged intelligence sharing with Iran.

Witt faced indictment by a federal grand jury in Washington in February 2019 on charges stemming from the unauthorized disclosure of national security information to the Iranian government. According to FBI statements, she served as an intelligence specialist and special agent in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations between 1997 and 2008, subsequently working as a government contractor until 2010.

During her tenure, Witt gained access to classified materials encompassing foreign intelligence and counterintelligence operations, including the identities of active members of the American intelligence community. The 47-year-old is accused of transferring this sensitive information to Iranian authorities following her defection in 2013, potentially compromising American security programs and personnel.

Federal prosecutors allege that Witt's actions endangered American programs and jeopardized the safety of intelligence personnel and their families. She is believed to have conducted research to assist Iran in targeting her former colleagues within the US government apparatus.

The FBI notes that Witt's defection strengthened the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, an organization involved in intelligence collection, unconventional military operations, and support for groups hostile to American interests. Intelligence suggests she may be using aliases including "Fatima Al-Zahra" and "Narges Witt," speaks Persian, and is currently based in Iran.

Daniel Wierzbicki, an official with the FBI's Counterintelligence and Cybercrimes Division, stated that Witt "broken her oath to the US Constitution" through her actions. He emphasized that the bureau remains committed to the case and urged the public to come forward with information about her location, stressing that the agency intends to bring her to justice.