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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
Former Google and Uber engineer Anthony Levandowski leaves federal court in San Jose, California, after a hearing in September 2019.
Anthony Levandowski, former Google engineer and a pioneer of self-driving car tech, agreed to plead guilty Thursday to stealing trade secrets from the internet giant.
Levandowski left Google in 2016 to start his own self-driving truck company, which was quickly acquired by Uber for $680 million. These actions set off a chain of events that led to Google's autonomous vehicle unit, Waymo, suing Uber over alleged theft of self-driving car trade secrets. That lawsuit settled in February 2018 with Uber agreeing to pay Waymo $245 million.
The prosecutors indicted Levandowski in August in a suit that involves 33 counts of theft and attempted theft of trade secrets from Google. The activities allegedly took place as he prepared to leave the search giant to build out Uber's self-driving car operation.
Levandowski pleaded guilty to one count of trade secret theft in an agreement in which federal prosecutors agree to drop the remaining charges, according to a filing with the US District Court of the Northern District of California. The plea carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 21 2020, @01:22PM (3 children)
Levandowski <------------------ {BOOK}
Why is he even allowed to settle? He pleaded guilty so they have /something/ on him. Just throw the friggin' book at the guy. It's not because he's got a crapton of money that he's some sort of angel (quite the opposite, actually). Don't let these people settle and get off with less than any less-wealthy individual would get hammered with.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Runaway1956 on Saturday March 21 2020, @02:07PM
There is an obverse to every coin. If the prosecution were very, very sure that they could get guilty verdicts, they wouldn't settle. They would charge full ahead, seeking maximum sentences, maximum fines and penalties, maximum restitution, everything. In a high stakes contest like this, neither side is certain of victory, so they dance around and around, seeking a compromise. This is the compromise.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 21 2020, @08:35PM
Not a great time to land in jail, what with this new virus. Harvey Weinstein is about to find out the same thing.
(Score: 1) by webnut77 on Sunday March 22 2020, @02:19PM
So he sold his newly formed company for $680 million, pleads guilty to one count, and gets a maximum of 10 years in prison.
So his jail time nets him $68 million/year? Check my maths. He could possibly get out in 5 years with good behavior.
Methinks there would be quite a few people that would take that deal if it was offered. You wouldn't have to work another day in your life.