The Agent From Iran

How a mother of two ended up in a plot to smuggle high-tech gear to the enemy

A A A Comments (0) By Deirdra Funcheon Thursday, Jan 8 2009

Gholikhan's emotional yet convoluted story was a hard act to follow for prosecutor Michael Walleisa.

"It's normal to have sympathy for the items she has put before you," he said to the jury. "But this defendant is intelligent, resourceful, cunning, manipulative, deceitful, and independent. And she proved that with her own testimony." In closing arguments, Walleisa reviewed the evidence: The phone numbers all matched up. She admitted sending emails. And Farideh Fahimi kept mentioning she had a heart problem. The coincidences were too great to ignore. On the contrary, Gholikhan's wild tale of victimization was just that — a tale.

Despite this photo found on her computer, Shahrzad Mir Gholikhan says she fought with ex-husband Mahmoud Seif "like Tom & Jerry."

Gholikhan and Seif — here with her twin daughters and other relatives — says Seif was the Iranian agent looking for night-vision goggles; she only translated for him once.

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On the ninth day of trial, after a day and a half of deliberation, the federal jury made its call. It found Gholikhan guilty on three counts related to exporting weapons and not guilty on the three related conspiracy counts. Sentencing is set for March.

As she packed up her yellow legal pads and U.S. marshals took her away by the elbow, Gholikhan said she felt "the prejudice of the American nation." But it was OK. "I won't give up. I will appeal. God is here."