On May 9th, 2022, a federal judge in Greeneville, Tennessee, sentenced a Michigan woman, known as Xiarong You, to 168 months in prison, the equivalent of 14 years, for trade secret theft,
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The trial of Xiaorang You (aka “Shannon You”) the principal research engineer accused of stealing trade secrets from several companies, including Coca-Cola began on April 6, 2021 in the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Ms. You was indicted by a grand jury on February 12, 2019 for theft of trade secrets, conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets, and wire fraud. The trade secrets were valued at more than $119 million. In August 2020, a superseding indictment added additional charges related to economic espionage.
While Coca-Cola’s vaulted secret formula remains intact, Ms. You is accused of stealing trade secrets related to bisphenol-A-free (“BPA-free”) coating, which is used to prevent beer and soda cans from corroding or reacting with the food or beverage inside them, minimize flavor loss, and prevent threats to human health.