FBI Offers $200K Reward for Monica Witt, Ex-U.S. Agent Accused of Espionage for Iran

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is offering a $200,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of former U.S. service member and counterintelligence agent Monica Witt.

Witt was indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia in February 2019 on charges of espionage, including transmitting national defense information to the government of Iran.

A former active-duty U.S. Air Force intelligence specialist and special agent for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Witt served in the military from 1997 to 2008 before working as a U.S. government contractor until 2010.

“Her military service and contracting employment provided her access to secret and top secret information relating to foreign intelligence and counterintelligence, including the true names of U.S. Intelligence Community undercover personnel,” the FBI said in a statement.

The 47-year-old’s known aliases include Fatemah Zahra and Narges Witt. Born in El Paso, Monica Witt is described as being 5 feet 6 inches tall with brown hair and brown eyes.

In 2013, Witt reportedly defected to Iran. According to the indictment, she provided information to the Iranian government, placing sensitive and classified U.S. national defense information and programs at risk.

Witt allegedly shared information that endangered U.S. personnel and their families stationed abroad. She also reportedly conducted research on behalf of the Iranian regime to help target her former colleagues in the U.S. government.

The FBI said Witt’s defection benefitted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has intelligence and unconventional warfare units and provides support to multiple terrorist organizations targeting U.S. citizens and interests.

Although Witt has been indicted for the alleged crimes, she remains at large. The FBI said it continues to actively work to locate her and bring her to justice.

“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,” said Daniel Wierzbicki, special agent in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Counterintelligence and Cyber Division.

“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. The FBI wants to hear from you so you can help us apprehend Witt and bring her to justice.”

Born on April 8, 1979, in El Paso, Monica Elfriede Witt reportedly struggled financially after leaving government service and at one point experienced homelessness while living in subsidized housing in Virginia. In interviews following her reported move to Iran, Witt said her deployment to Iraq sparked a deep interest in Islam and the Quran, eventually leading to her religious conversion.

She also claimed that those around her, including friends, family, and members of the U.S. military, were influenced by anti-Iranian and anti-Islamic sentiment.

The Department of Justice previously alleged that Witt appeared on television in Iran and converted to Islam there.

She has a bachelor’s degree from University of Maryland, College Park, a master’s degree from George Washington University (GWU), and Persian-language certification from the Defense Language Institute.