Former Coca-Cola Engineer Receives 14-Year Sentence For Trade Secrets Scheme

Xiaorong “Shannon” You is sentenced after a jury convicted her last month of possession of stolen trade secrets and economic espionage.

May 17, 2022

A chemical engineer is sentenced to 14 years in prison after her conviction last month on charges that included possession of stolen trade secrets and economic espionage, according to U.S. News & World Report. Xiaorong “Shannon” You reportedly stole trade secrets about materials used to line soda cans with the intention of benefitting the Chinese government and a Chinese company.

According to the article, You was working as an engineer for Coca-Cola and Eastman Chemicals when she accessed secrets about the BPA-free coatings. She reportedly stole the trade secrets to form a BPA coating company in China. Costs to develop the trade secrets cost chemical and coating companies nearly $120 million, says U.S. News.

Read the entire article here.