Iran-born US Citizen Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Migrants, Including IRGC-Linked Man, and Hoarding Child Abuse Material

A New York-based U.S. citizen born in Iran pleaded guilty Tuesday to operating a migrant smuggling ring that brought foreign nationals into the country, including one linked to a U.S.-designated terrorist group. He also stockpiled graphic child sexual abuse material, federal authorities said.

Sharon Gohari, a Nassau County resident who often traveled to Iran, entered the plea in federal court in Brooklyn on charges of human smuggling and receiving child sexual abuse material. The guilty plea ended a yearslong operation that authorities said posed national security threats and included exploitation.

Prosecutors said Gohari made illegal entry a business starting at least in late 2020 until his arrest in May 2025. He charged thousands of dollars to smuggle Iranian nationals and others into the U.S., routing them through Turkey and Mexico. He even helped obtain visas at the Mexican embassy in Iran before directing them across the southern border using an international network.

Over 700 Iranian nationals were released into the U.S. during the Biden administration despite terrorism concerns.

At least one person Gohari helped enter had ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization. Border agents later detained that individual, who admitted performing 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.

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.

Federal agents found multiple videos on Gohari's devices showing the sexual abuse of young children, including victims as young as 5 years old. They also uncovered hundreds of photos and recordings that appeared to show women secretly filmed and followed in public places across New York City.

"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.

Some recordings seemed taken at close range or positioned to capture images under women's clothing. Gohari shared some material with overseas accounts, including in Iran, connected to child sexual abuse content exchanges, officials said.

"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.

The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case with multiple federal, state and local agencies.

Gohari faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison on the child exploitation charge, with up to 20 years possible, plus a potential 10-year sentence for smuggling.