Busted for Trade Secret Theft

Two Chinese nationals face federal charges for trying to steal trade secrets from Pittsburgh Corning’s plant in Sedalia, MO.

The two Chinese citizens face charges of attempting to pay $100,000 for the stolen trade secrets from the Sedalia plant, which makes FOAMGLAS, said acting U.S. Attorney David Ketchmark.

RELATED STORIES
Sony Hack: LulzSec Suspect Busted
Toyota Sues Programmer for Sabotage
Attacker Faces Fed Charges for DoS
Busted after Bragging about Attack

Ji Li Huang, 45, and Xiao Guang Qi, 31, ended up charged in a federal criminal complaint filed in the district court in Kansas City, saying the two tried to illegally buy trade secrets for the purpose of opening a plant in China to compete with Pittsburgh Corning. The FBI arrested the two in their hotel room last Sunday, the report said.

The various grades of cellular glass insulation sold under the trade name FOAMGLAS see use in insulating industrial piping systems and liquefied natural gas storage tank bases largely used by energy and petro chemical companies and by natural gas facilities, the report said.

The report said Pittsburgh Corning just reported technological advances in these products and the company treats its product formula and manufacturing process as proprietary.

The report said Pittsburgh Corning is in negotiations to build a plant in China.