A naturalized U.S. citizen from Iran entered a guilty plea in federal court earlier today, admitting to running a sophisticated human smuggling operation that compromised national security and possessing graphic child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
As the Department of Justice reported, Sharon Gohari, who split his time between Roslyn, New York, and Iran, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Ann M. Donnelly to charges of unlawfully smuggling aliens into the United States and the intentional receipt of CSAM.
Federal prosecutors revealed that between December 2020 and May 2025, Gohari operated a lucrative criminal enterprise. Charging thousands of dollars per client, he facilitated the illegal entry of Iranian nationals and others into the U.S., primarily through a pipeline spanning Central and South America and Mexico.
The investigation took a more urgent turn when it was discovered that at least one of Gohari’s clients had direct ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. According to court documents, Gohari orchestrated this individual’s travel from Iran through Turkey and Mexico in early 2021. The individual was eventually detained by Border Patrol and admitted to performing tasks for the IRGC.
“Gohari made a business of smuggling aliens… at least one of whom had ties to the [IRGC],” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg. “We cannot protect our national security without a secure border.”
The case against Gohari expanded significantly when law enforcement searched his devices. Investigators discovered multiple videos of child rape — some involving victims as young as five years old — and records of Gohari expressing his intent to seek out sexual partners at a high school.
Furthermore, agents found hundreds of surreptitious photos and videos of women across New York City, including several taken from upskirt angles. The evidence suggested a pattern of stalking. Several videos depicted the same women in multiple locations, including cafes and subways, recorded without their knowledge. Gohari reportedly shared this illicit content with Iran-based accounts in exchange for further CSAM.
The conviction was the result of a massive collaborative effort by the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, the NYPD, and Homeland Security Investigations.
“The defendant exploited and endangered vulnerable individuals for profit,” stated U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. “[He] put our national security at risk and circumvented the vital procedures that are in place to vet those entering our country.”
Gohari now faces a mandatory minimum of five years for the CSAM charge and three years for alien smuggling, with a combined maximum sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison.
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