SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury indicted former Apple Incorporated (Apple) employee Weibao Wang, charging him with theft and attempted theft of trade secrets in connection with a scheme to access, download, and steal Apple technology related to autonomous systems, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp.
According to the indictment, Apple hired Wang, 35, formerly of Mountain View, Calif., to work as a software engineer beginning in March of 2016. The indictment describes how Wang signed a confidentiality agreement with Apple. The indictment further states that Apple provided Wang with in-person secrecy training that covered the appropriate handling of confidential material, and established rules prohibiting the transfer and transmission of the company’s intellectual property without Apple’s consent. Wang was assigned to work with a team at Apple that designed and developed hardware and software for autonomous systems, which can have a variety of applications, such as self-driving cars.
“Innovation is alive and well in Silicon Valley—indeed, throughout the Northern District of California,” said U.S. Attorney Ramsey. “Unfortunately, there will always be some who cheat the system by stealing and profiting from the fruits of others’ labor. The Wang prosecution is but one example. We are pleased that the Disruptive Technology Task Force renews energy and focus on securing innovation for those who actually create it....
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