Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS)

Economic Espionage Act (EEA) Cases

Glossary For the purposes of the Economic Espionage Act case chart, the following words or phrases are defined. Violation - This category lists the United States Code provisions of the charging document or offenses which were the basis of conviction. EEA - The Economic Espionage Act prohibits foreign economic espionage and the theft of trade secrets, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1831-1839. Comp. Intrusion - The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act protects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronically stored data, 18 U.S.C. § 1030. ITSP - Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property, 18 U.S.C. § 2314. Copyright - Criminal copyright infringement, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2318-2319. Mail Fraud - Prohibits use of the mails in furtherance of a scheme to defraud. 18 U.S.C. § 1341. Wire Fraud - Prohibits the use of interstate wires in furtherance of a scheme to defraud, 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Defendants - This category lists the number and type of defendants (individual and/or corporate). Method of Theft - This category indicates the status of the defendant relative to the victim. Insider - Crime and arrest occurred while defendant was employed by the victim. Ex-employee - Crime may have occurred in part while the defendant was employed by the victim, but arrest occurred after defendant left victim's employ. Competitor - Includes individuals or corporations that are in a competitive relationship with the victim. Outsider - Includes individuals or corporations that steal trade secrets for their own use or to sell to a third party. Trade Secret - This category provides a brief description of the stolen trade secret. Punishment - Incarceration or probation (months) - refers to number of months of incarceration (prison, home confinement) imposed on the lead defendant, or, if no incarceration was imposed, the number of months of probation. Fine, Forfeiture, Restitution - the combined amount that the lead defendant must pay in fines, restitution and forfeiture. Other - This column to note unusual aspects of the case.

Recently Prosecuted Economic Espionage Cases Year 2005 Silicon Valley Engineer Indicted for Stealing Trade Secrets and Computer Fraud (December 22, 2005) Former CEO of Software Company Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Steal Trade Secrets of Chief Competitor: Third Executive Pleads Guilty in Case Involving Theft of Rival’s Trade Secrets (December 8, 2005) Software Executive Admits to Conspiring to Misappropriate Chief Competitor’s Trade Secrets (September 29, 2005) Chip Design Engineer Pleads Guilty to Transporting Stolen Property of Silicon Valley Company to Taiwan (September 6, 2005) Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty in U.S. Court to Selling Stolen Microsoft Windows Source Code (August 29, 2005) Former IT Director of Silicon Valley Company Pleads Guilty to Theft of Trade Secrets (August, 1, 2005) Year 2004 U.S. Arrests Connecticut Man on Charge of Selling Stolen Microsoft Windows Source Code (November 9, 2004) Two San Jose Men Indicted for Stealing Trade Secrets Worth Over $1 Million (November 4, 2004) Year 2003 Los Angeles Man Sentenced for Stealing Trade Secrets Pertaining to 'Smart Card' Technology (September 8, 2003) Two Former Boeing Managers Charged in Plot to Steal Trade Secrets from Lockheed Martin (June 25, 2003) Grand Island, New York Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of Trade Secrets for Downloading Engineering Drawings and Data (May 23, 2003) Oakland, California Man Indicted for Theft of Trade Secrets for Stealing Proprietary Databases (May 14, 2003) L.A. Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of Trade Secrets for Stealing Information to DirecTV 'Smart Card' (April 28, 2003) Chicago, Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of Trade Secrets, Offered to Sell Online Interpreter's Information (April 11, 2003) San Jose, California Man Indicted for Theft of Trade Secrets and Computer Fraud (April 2, 2003) Los Angeles Man Indicted For Theft of Trade Secrets For Stealing Information Pertaining to DirecTV's Most Advanced Conditional Access Card (January 16, 2003) Year 2002 Pair from Cupertino and San Jose, California, Indicted for Economic Espionage and Theft of Trade Secrets From Silicon Valley Companies (December 4, 2002) Guilty Plea to Economic Espionage (October 17, 2002) Former Engineer of White Plains Software Company Receives Two Years in Prison for Theft of Trade Secret (October 15, 2002) Former Vancouver, Washington Resident Pleads Guilty to Theft of Trade Secrets from Microsoft Corporation (August 23, 2002) Pair Charged With Theft Of Trade Secrets From Harvard Medical School (June 19, 2002) Man Pleads Guilty To Stealing Trade Secret (June 3, 2002) Scientist Pleads Guilty to Providing False Statements Regarding Trade Secret Theft from Cleveland Clinic Foundation (May 1, 2002) New Indictment Expands Charges Against Former Lucent Scientists Accused of Passing Trade Secrets to Chinese Company (April 11, 2002) FBI Sting Nabs Trade Secret Thief Offering to Sell OnLine Interpreters' Information (April 9, 2002) Man Sentenced for Theft of Trade Secrets from Fabricated Metal Products Inc. (March 12, 2002) Two Sentenced in First Theft of Trade Secrets Case Prosecuted in Middle District of Florida (January 28, 2002) Year 2001 Silicon Valley Man Sentenced to Economic Espionage Act Violation Relating to Intel Trade Secrets (December 11, 2001) Santa Clara Man Sentenced for Theft of Trade Secrets (December 4, 2001) Former Corning Inc. Employee Charged with Theft of Trade Secrets in Rochester (July 31, 2001) Connecticut Man Indicted for Theft of Trade Secrets from Fabricated Metal Products (June 6, 2001) Former Lucent Employees and Co-Conspirator Indicted in Newark, New Jersey for Theft of Lucent Trade Secrets (May 31, 2001) First Foreign Economic Espionage Indictment; Defendants Steal Trade Secrets from Cleveland Clinic Foundation (May 8, 2001) Lucent Scientists Arrested, Charged with Stealing Tech Secrets for Joint Venture with China-controlled Company (May 3, 2001) Wang and Bell Imaging Plead Guilty Plead Guilty to Theft and Copying of Acuson Corporation Trade Secrets (April 26, 2001) Two Men from Michigan Charged with Attempting to Steal Trade Secrets from ZirMed.com (April 18, 2001) FBI Sting Captures New York Man Who Stole Trade Secrets from MasterCard and Offered Them for Sale to Visa (March 21, 2001) Two Plead Guilty to First Theft of Trade Secrets Case Prosecuted in Middle District of Florida (March 15, 2001) Two San Jose Men Plead Guilty in Theft of Trade Secrets Case (January 2, 2001) Year 2000 San Francisco Man Arrested on Charges of Trade Secrets Theft (November 21, 2000) International Economic Espionage Defendants Sentenced in Multi-Million Dollar Tejas Procurement Services Case (June 15, 2000) Year 1999 International Economic Espionage Defendants Agree to Plead Guilty to Federal Charges (December 9, 1999) Four Pillars, P.Y. Yang and Sally Yang convicted of violating the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 (April 28, 1999) Year 1998 Two Men from California Sentenced for Attempting to Sell Intel Trade Secrets (December 4, 1998) Texan Pleads Guilty to Stealing Trade Secrets from Employer, ICS, Deloitte & Touche (July 30, 1998) Man from California Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Sell Intel Trade Secrets (July 15, 1998) Steven Davis Pleads Guilty to Theft of Gillette Trade Secrets(January 27, 1998) Year 1997 Taiwanese firm, its President and his daughter indicted in industrial espionage case; Third individual charged in Ohio case (October 1, 1997) Taiwanese businessman and daughter arrested on industrial espionage charges (September 5, 1997) More Information on:  Economic Espionage Go to . . . CCIPSHome Page   ||  Justice DepartmentHome Page