CHICAGO (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday convicted a Chinese-born American of stealing trade secrets but acquitted her of corporate espionage at a trial that highlighted fears about China’s pilfering U.S. company secrets.
Prosecutors accused Hanjuan Jin of stealing confidential information from a U.S. cellphone company, knowing it likely would end up with China’s military.
The 41-year-old Jin waived her right to a jury trial, leaving it to Judge Ruben Castillo to announce a verdict at a hearing Wednesday in Chicago.
Prosecutors said Jin rose through Motorola Inc.’s ranks only to steal documents from her Chicago-area Motorola office in 2007. They say she then tried to flee on a one-way ticket to China.
Defense attorneys argued that prosecutors overstated the documents’ value.
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