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Trade Secret/Economic Espionage Cases - U.S. v. Garrison (N.D. Cal.)



Department of Justice



Cybercrime
Cybercrime


Trade Secret/Economic Espionage Cases


May 23, 2003


U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
Western District of New York
138 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, New York 14202
Phone: (716) 843-5814

Grand Island Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of Trade Secrets for Downloading Engineering Drawings and Data

United States Attorney Michael A. Battle announced today that William Garrison, age 57, of Grand Island, New York, pled guilty before Hon. Richard J. Arcara, United States District Court Judge to a felony Information, charging him with a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1030(a)(4), namely the theft of trade secrets from Wendt Corporation of Tonawanda, New York. The plea of guilty carries a maximum possible sentence of five years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000.00, or both. Sentencing is scheduled for August 28, 2003, at 12:30 p.m. in front of Hon. Richard J. Arcara, United States Judge. Assistant U.S. Attorney Martin J. Littlefield, who handled the case, stated that the defendant was a 16-year employee of Wendt Corporation, which is in the business of making metal shredding equipment for companies worldwide. William Garrison worked as a service technician, specifically having access to engineering drawings and data which Wendt Corporation had developed as trade secrets over decades. Mr. Garrison admitted that in April, 2002 he had decided to leave Wendt Corporation in order to secure a position outside of Western New York. Prior to that departure, he downloaded thousands of Wendt Corporations’ closely-held trade secrets involving the engineering drawings and data which Wendt Corporation had developed for its worldwide business. The present charge, theft of the intellectual property/trade secrets of Wendt Corporation, is a result of the illegal downloading. The plea was the culmination of an investigation on the part of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge, Peter J. Ahearn, and the Town of Tonawanda Police Department under the direction of Chief Sam Palmieri.


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