Secretary Stole Company Secrets
Employers should ensure staff with access to confidential information are regularly screened to ensure none are vulnerable to adverse external pressures such as debt or blackmail.
A former administrative assistant for Coca Cola’s global brand director at the firm's Atlanta headquarters has been found guilty of plotting to steal company's secrets and sell them to its rival Pepsi.
BBC News stated that the court heard that the Assistant stole confidential documents and samples of new products passing them on to two other men to sell to Pepsi for at least $1.5m.
The three were charged last July with stealing product samples and confidential documents from Coca-Cola and trying to sell them to PepsiCo's Pepsi unit.
After the offer was made, PepsiCo contacted Coca-Cola and co-operated with FBI officials who held undercover meetings with one of the two men.
Investigators arranged a fake sale of the material for $1.5m (£800,000) and caught the secretary on camera putting papers and samples in her bag, the prosecution said.
The Secretary could face up to 10 years in prison when sentencing takes place at a later date.
© employright.net 03
February 2007
Date : 02-02-2007
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