Selling Private Company Secrets Spells Economic Espionage

Four people were arrested in February in connection with two separate alleged incidents of spying for China. A man from California was arrested on charges of stealing trade secrets from aerospace manufacturer Boeing, while three others were held on suspicion of passing classified US documents to China.

The Economic Espionage Act (EEA) of 1996 was passed by Congress in order to strengthen weak and ineffectual laws.  The EEA now makes economic espionage a federal offense with stiff prison sentences and fines up to $10 million. 

Section 1831, also known as the Economic Espionage Act states that it is a federal criminal offense to intend or knowing that the offense will benefit any foreign government, foreign instrumentality, or foreign agent, knowingly, steal, or without authorization appropriates, takes, carries away, or conceals, or by fraud or deception obtains a trade secret. Violators shall be fined up to $500,000 or imprisoned up to 15 years, or both.

Furthermore, one may not copy, duplicate, sketch, draw, photograph, download, upload, alter, destroy, photocopy, replicate, transmit, deliver, send, mail, communicate, or convey a trade secret to a foreign government or agent without authorization.

Nor may any individual receive, buy, possess a trade secret, or conspire to do so, knowing the trade secret to have been stolen or appropriated, obtained, or converted without authorization. Violators are subject to the same penalties.

If you are being investigated by the Department of Justice, the FBI, or any other law enforcement agency for allegations of illegal exportation of protected documents or trade secrets, you need the help of a competent federal criminal defense attorney immediately. Delaying representation will only assist the federal government in building their case against you. The consequences of a conviction for espionage, misappropriating trade secrets, violating U.S. trade embargos or the Arms Export Control Act, or engaging in economic or other espionage are severe. You need to protect your interests immediately. Call the federal criminal defense attorneys at Houston & Blanco today.