A federal jury convicted a former Coca-Cola secretary Friday of conspiring to steal trade secrets from the world's largest beverage maker in an effort to sell them to rival Pepsi.
Joya Williams faces up to 10 years in prison. No sentencing date was immediately set.
The jury of seven women and five men deliberated for 11 1/2 hours over three days. On Thursday, jurors told U.S. District Judge J. Owen Forrester they were "hung" and could not decide. Forrester told the jury to try again Friday.
Williams showed no visible reaction when the verdict was announced. She remains free on bond, pending sentencing.
Williams was fired as a secretary to Coca-Cola's global brand director at the company's Atlanta headquarters after the allegations came to light.
The government says Williams stole confidential documents and samples of products that hadn't been launched from The Coca-Cola Co. and gave them to Ibrahim Dimson and Edmund Duhaney as part of a conspiracy to sell the items to Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo Inc. for at least $1.5 million.
Dimson and Duhaney have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Duhaney testified previously that Williams spearheaded the scheme. Dimson did not testify.
The government said Williams was deeply in debt, unhappy in her job and seeking a big payday, so she embarked on the scheme to steal trade secrets.
Defense lawyer Janice Singer urged jurors to use their common sense, and she argued that prosecutors did not prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Singer suggested that Dimson and Duhaney stole the documents and product samples from Williams without her knowledge and conspired to sell them to Pepsi behind her back. Williams testified earlier this week she left a key under her doormat for one of the co-defendants, perhaps explaining how they could have gotten into her home.
But Assistant U.S. Attorney Byung J. Pak said during his closing argument Wednesday that the key under the mat claim was one of many lies told by Williams.
During two days on the stand, Williams testified that she didn't steal anything from Coke, but rather took documents and product samples home to protect herself in case her boss questioned whether she was doing her job.
She also claimed that $4,000 in cash she deposited into her bank account in June 2006, just days after Dimson was given $30,000 in cash from an undercover FBI agent in exchange for Coke materials, came from a friend, not from Dimson.
But the friend, Clifton Carroll, testified Tuesday that Williams was lying; he said the most money he ever loaned her was $400, and that was after her July 5 arrest.
Williams' credibility was an issue for the jury to weigh during its deliberations.
After the verdict was announced, Singer said her client had been "prepared for the worst. She was ready for whatever the jury did."
"She's holding her own," Singer added. "She seems pretty strong right now."
Pak, the prosecutor, said, "We're happy with the verdict. It was the right verdict based on the evidence in the case."
He said it's too early to tell what sentence the government will recommend. He noted that under federal guidelines, the fact that Williams testified and denied involvement could weigh against her at sentencing.
Harvard students condemn Oxford University
Publish Date : 3/5/2007 7:11:00 AM
Two Harvard students, including an NRI, have condemned Oxford University, where they are Rhodes scholars, as "outdated" and "frustrating" and dismissed its world famous Bodleian library as "less than inspiring".
Indian embassy to outsource jobs to American firm
Publish Date : 3/5/2007 7:10:00 AM
After taking thousands of American jobs through outsourcing, India is planning to give a few back. The Indian embassy in the US capital is planning to outsource processing of visas to a US-based company.
Badal heads 18-member coalition ministry in Punjab(Final lead: Badal)
Publish Date : 3/3/2007 7:29:00 AM
Octogenarian leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Parkash Singh Badal, on Friday took oath as Punjab's new Chief Minister and will lead an 18-member SAD-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition ministry.
Bareilly eunuch adopts a girl child
Publish Date : 3/3/2007 7:22:00 AM
It was a day of celebration for Saroj, a eunuch in Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, as 'she' has become a 'mother' by adopting a baby girl.
Kalam offers prayer at Fatehpuri Masjid
Publish Date : 3/3/2007 7:16:00 AM
Keeping a promise made two years ago, President A P J Abdul Kalam today offered prayers at the historic Fatehpuri Masjid in Chandni Chowk here along with thousands of Muslims.
Union Budget directionless, says Modi
Publish Date : 3/1/2007 8:41:00 AM
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today criticised the Union Budget by terming it as "directionless".
Centre allocates over Rs 100 crore for minority zones
Publish Date : 3/1/2007 8:38:00 AM
Unfazed by the BJP's criticism over its welfare schemes for Muslims, the Congress-led Central Government has allocated over Rs 100 crore for development programmes in select districts with a sizeable population of minorities.
Kins of political bigwigs fail to find voters' favour
Publish Date : 3/1/2007 8:27:00 AM
The assembly polls in Punjab turned out to be unkind for several kins of political bigwigs as voters rejected most of them barring some of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) supremo Parkash Singh Badal's near and dear ones.
High Court order on age of nursery admission tomorrow
Publish Date : 3/1/2007 8:24:00 AM
The Delhi High Court today observed that the city Government's submission that a child should be four-years-old to get admission in nursery class was contrary to the law.
Parliament session may be stormy tomorrow on Quattrocchi issue
Publish Date : 3/1/2007 8:18:00 AM
After the lull, it is going to be storm again in Parliament tomorrow.
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