A U.S. citizen, originally from Iran and residing in New York, has confessed in federal court to orchestrating a migrant smuggling operation. This illicit activity involved bringing foreign nationals into the United States, including an individual linked to a terrorist group recognized by the U.S. Additionally, he was found to have amassed disturbing child sexual abuse materials, according to federal officials.
Sharon Gohari, who called Nassau County home and regularly journeyed to Iran, entered his guilty plea in Brooklyn’s federal court. The charges included human smuggling and receiving child sexual abuse materials, marking the conclusion of an extensive operation that authorities say posed significant national security threats and involved heinous exploitation.
From at least late 2020 until his arrest in May 2025, Gohari reportedly transformed illegal immigration into a profitable venture. Prosecutors detailed how he demanded hefty fees to transport Iranian and other nationals into the U.S. His scheme involved a complex route through Turkey and Mexico, and included assistance in obtaining visas via the Mexican embassy in Iran. Ultimately, he facilitated their entry across the southern U.S. border with the help of an international network.
Highlighting the severity of his actions, one individual smuggled into the country had associations with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a group designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. This person was later apprehended by border officials and confessed to executing operations for the IRGC overseas.
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.
Members of security forces watch over the crowd during a funeral procession for IRGC Navy Chief Alireza Tangsiri and other senior naval commanders killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes in late March in Tehran, Iran, on April 1, 2026. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
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.
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.
“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.
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.
EU designates Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorist organization. (Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“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.
Fox News Digital reached out to his attorney.