The US court accused a former Apple employee on Wednesday of stealing technology for autonomous vehicles developed by the technology group, to sell it to a Chinese company.
The Justice Department announced the indictment of Wang Weibao, 35, with theft and attempted theft of trade secrets, part of a scheme to access and usurp Apple technology used in autonomous vehicle systems.
According to the court filing, Wang worked as a computer engineer at the California-based company from 2016 to 2018. During that time, he had access to databases accessible to only 2,700 employees across the company, which has more than 130,000 workers.
Investigators reviewed Wang’s access history in Apple files the day after he left the company and found that he accessed “large amounts” of sensitive information in the “days before he left.”
“Unfortunately, there will always be those who cheat the system, steal and profit from the work of others. Wang’s prosecution is just one example,” prosecutor Ismail Ramsey said in a statement issued by the Justice Department.
If convicted, Wang could be punished with a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 (230,000 euros) for each count of robbery or attempted robbery, the same note read.
Source: TSF
