Woman sentenced to 14 years for stealing trade secrets from Eastman

A woman convicted of stealing trade secrets from Eastman and other chemical companies is headed to prison for the next 14 years. It was the second sentencing for Xiaorong You, a Chinese-born U.S. citizen, who according to court documents stole trade secrets from American companies to take to China. The charges focused on trade secrets related to BPA-free can linings. You was convicted of stealing from various companies through her jobs at Coca-Cola and Eastman. Prosecutors said she was caught taking those secrets and applying for a business grant in China. You was originally sentenced in 2022, but she appealed to the sixth circuit alleging that racist testimony was admitted at trial. An appeals court upheld You’s conviction, but found the court miscalculated the victim companies’ loss. Judge Ronnie Greer handed down re-calculated loss figures in court Monday, but reinstated the same sentence: 168 months and a $200,000 fine.