A shocking federal lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York has pulled back the curtain on a clandestine world where high-tech surveillance, international espionage, and the American legal system collide  

At the center of the $460 million dispute is a  zero-click  spyware tool a digital weapon so potent it can hijack any smartphone without the user ever touching a link, and allegations that a foreign intelligence agency used a suburban Virginia shell company to infiltrate the U.S. market

The lawsuit, filed on February 27, 2024, paints a cinematic picture of a business deal gone wrong, involving the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), a New York businessman, and a team of high-powered American lawyers now accused of acting as unregistered foreign agents

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The Holy Grail  of Surveillance

The saga began in late 2022 when Afan Shirwani, the sole owner of Virginia-based ASO LLC, reportedly approached New York businessman Ben Jamill of HSS Development Group. Shirwani claimed to be looking for a specific capability for the KRG: a "zero-click" surveillance system

Unlike traditional malware, which requires a user to click a phishing link, zero-click technology exploits hidden vulnerabilities in background processes. A phone might receive an invisible text or a silent missed call; in that fraction of a second, the software takes total control of the device

According to court documents, Jamill pitched the  Intellis system, a product developed by the South African firm Admatech. The contract was valued at over $10.7 million, with Jamill set to retain a 51% stake in the intellectual property

The Erbil Heist

The deal took a dark turn during a live demonstration in Erbil, Kurdistan. According to depositions, a five-person technical team, including Admatech developer Rain Knox, was flown in for the pitch. The lawsuit alleges that when KRG officials, specifically those tied to the powerful Barzani family, realized the power of the "Gatekeeper Protocol" within the software, they attempted to steal the technology physically

Knox testified that he was forced to change hotels three times in Erbil due to threats to his safety. The complaint alleges that Shirwani and KRG’s spy chief, Khasro Wasman (referred to in messages as "the General), bypassed Jamill to cut a secret side deal with the South African developers, allegedly involving $360,000 in unlawful kickbacks

"Lawfare": Using the U.S. Courts as a Weapon

When Jamill realized he had been cut out of the $450 million in potential global revenue, he began building a legal case. However, the defendants allegedly struck back using a strategy known as  lawfare, the weaponization of the legal system for strategic gain

The lawsuit claims that the defendants’ U.S. lawyers, Jonathan Moore, Theodore Kittila, and Jeffrey Grilsheimer, filed for "criminal contempt" against Jamill in a New York commercial court. The filing included a warning that Jamill could be immediately arrested and imprisoned if he failed to appear

Jamill’s legal team argues this was an "abuse of process" intended to silence a witness. They have filed a rare claim under 42 U.S. Code § 1983, typically used against police officers, arguing that these private attorneys acted as "state actors" by invoking the court's power of imprisonment to further the interests of a foreign power

The FARA and FCPA Allegations

The complaint further alleges that the U.S. lawyers violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Jamill claims ASO LLC was a "shell company" operating out of a residential house in McLean, Virginia, serving as a front for the Barzani family

In a move that could have massive implications for the legal profession, the plaintiff is invoking the "crime-fraud exception" to attorney-client privilege. This rule states that the shield of privilege vanishes if a client uses their lawyer's advice to plan a future crime or fraud. The suit alleges the lawyers weren't just representing a client; they were "active, willing co-conspirators" in an extortion scheme

A New Era of Conflict

The case highlights a chilling evolution in international espionage. The "battlefield" has moved from foggy bridges and trench coats to suburban LLCs and dry bureaucratic filings in New York commercial courts

As the $460 million suit moves forward, it raises a haunting question for national security experts: If a foreign intelligence agency can use the American legal system to punish its critics and acquire cyber-weapons on U.S. soil, how secure are the guardrails of our justice system

Ben Jamill is a New York-based businessman who is the central plaintiff in a $460 million federal lawsuit filed in early 2026 against the Barzani family

Mattie Moore is a writer, commentator, and cyber consultant. She holds a Master's of Science in Cybersecurity Technology and Policy and a degree in Political Science. She has been published in the Financial Times, Business Insider, The Daily Caller, The Miami Herald, and in academic journals. She is the author of an upcoming 2026 book, Despots and Demons. She was the Republican nominee for Congress in California in 2010