Jerusalem
A US man dwelling in Israel has been charged with spying for Iran in alternate for cryptocurrency funds, in line with the State Attorney’s Office and an indictment filed on Friday, in what seems to be the primary time an American faces prosecution amid a wave of espionage circumstances.
The suspect, Eli Lavon, 21, was an ultra-Orthodox student at a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem. In November 2025, whereas visiting household in the United States, prosecutors say he answered a job commercial on the Telegram messaging app.
One month later, a international agent appearing on behalf of Iranian intelligence made contact with Lavon on the app as he returned to Israel and started assigning him duties equivalent to taking pictures and movies, in line with the indictment.
Prosecutors say that Lavon recorded video of an deserted constructing in a spiritual neighborhood in Jerusalem, in addition to footage from inside a particular grocery retailer. In one project, the agent instructed him to cover a cigarette packet in a rest room trash can in the Hadar Mall in Jerusalem with a notice inside that stated, “The job is complete,” the indictment alleges.
Lavon obtained tons of of {dollars} in cryptocurrency funds for the photographs, prosecutors stated. He used two totally different Telegram accounts and three totally different telephones to speak with the international brokers, they stated.
Israel has been going through an unprecedented wave of home espionage since 2023. At least 60 Israelis have been indicted on fees of spying for Iran, however this seems to be the primary time an American has been detained in Israel on comparable suspicions. Several of the websites that prosecutors say have been filmed by these alleged recruits have been focused in Iranian missile assaults on Israel over the previous yr.
Lavon was arrested on June 9 and now faces two counts of Contact with a Foreign Agent and 14 counts of Communicating Information to the Enemy that May be Useful to the Enemy.
“This indictment illustrates how foreign intelligence agencies attempt to exploit the digital sphere to identify, recruit, and operate individuals from within Israel,” stated Ronit Shentzer Yaakobi of the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office in a press release, “and how important it is to remain vigilant and immediately sever contact when approached in this manner.”
Raz Bar Tzvi, a lawyer for Lavon instructed NCS that “not every person with whom a foreign actor makes contact via social media is an ‘atomic spy.’ The legal reality must be adapted to the technological reality. The matters described in the indictment do not align with reality.” Bar Tzvi declined to say what plea Lavon would enter.
Lavon finally blocked the international agent, however prosecutors say he made contact with a second agent working for Iranian intelligence. In February, Lavon hid a USB flash drive wrapped in a 50 shekel notice (approx. $16.7) at a restaurant in Jerusalem, in line with the indictment, and despatched a selfie with an image of his passport.
The second international agent requested Lavon to supply the names of fellow college students on the seminary, the indictment stated, however Lavon refused to contain his buddies.
Lavon obtained about $518 in cryptocurrency for these assignments, in line with the indictment, for a complete of about $1,379.