Scientist Pleads Guilty In Theft

Federal officials have unsealed a Nov. 13, 2006, guilty plea by researcher Gary Min over the theft of $400 million worth of trade secrets from DuPont. Min, a senior scientist who specialized in polyimide films, signed an employment agreement with polyether ether ketone producer Victrex in October 2005 and was set to start working for the company in January 2006. However, he didn't disclose to DuPont that he was leaving the company until Dec. 12, 2005. That date ended a four-month period in which Min extracted thousands of documents, most unrelated to his research, from DuPont's electronic data library. Government agents who raided Min's Ohio home last February found garbage bags full of shredded DuPont documents. Min faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and restitution.