Iran-born smuggler who helped terror-linked migrant enter US also stockpiled child abuse material, feds say

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A New York-based, Iran-born U.S. citizen pleaded guilty Tuesday to running a migrant smuggling operation that brought foreign nationals into the country, including a traveler tied to a U.S.-designated terrorist group, while also stockpiling graphic child sexual abuse material, federal authorities said.

Sharon Gohari, who lived in Nassau County and frequently traveled to Iran, pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn to human smuggling and receiving child sexual abuse material, capping what authorities described as a yearslong scheme that posed both national security risks and involved disturbing exploitation.

Prosecutors say Gohari turned illegal entry into a business from at least late 2020 until his arrest in May 2025, charging thousands to move Iranian nationals and others into the U.S., routing them through Turkey and Mexico, even helping secure visas through the Mexican embassy in Iran, before guiding them across the southern border with an international network.

OVER 700 IRANIAN NATIONALS RELEASED INTO US DURING BIDEN ADMINISTRATION DESPITE TERRORISM CONCERNS

At least one individual he helped enter the country had ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization. That individual was later detained by border agents and admitted to carrying out tasks for the IRGC abroad, officials said.

“As this case illustrates, we cannot protect our national security without a secure border,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg said. He added that Gohari “made a business of smuggling aliens into the United States,” including someone linked to the IRGC.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ACCUSED OF POCKETING THOUSANDS BY SMUGGLING HUNDREDS OF ALIENS EACH WEEK FROM CANADA TO US

U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said the defendant “exploited and endangered vulnerable individuals for profit, over and over again,” while also “put[ting] our national security at risk” by helping people bypass the country’s vetting systems.

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The case took a darker turn when federal agents searched Gohari’s devices.

Authorities say they uncovered multiple videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children, including victims believed to be as young as 5 years old, as well as hundreds of photos and recordings appearing to show women being secretly filmed and followed in public places across New York City.

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“The defendant admits to helping people illegally enter the United States, including someone associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which endangers our country’s national security,” said FBI Counterterrorism Division Assistant Director Donald Holstead.

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Officials say some of the recordings appeared to be taken at close range or in a way designed to capture images under women’s clothing, and that Gohari shared some of the material with overseas accounts, including Iran, tied to the exchange of child sexual abuse content.

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“Sharon Gohari threatened our national security by selling illegal entry into the United States,” said James Barnacle, Jr., assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, adding that the case underscores efforts to crack down on criminals exploiting U.S. borders.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force alongside multiple federal, state and local agencies.

Gohari now faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison on the child exploitation charge and up to 20 years, in addition to a possible 10-year sentence for the smuggling offense.

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