Software Engineer’s 14-Year Prison Sentence Vacated on Appeal

A chemical engineer found guilty of stealing trade secrets in 2021 lost her Sixth Circuit appeal challenging the convictions, but won a bid to vacate her sentence.

The district court properly considered intended loss in calculating her sentence, but clearly erred by relying on speculative market estimates and by confusing anticipated sales of Xiaorong You’s planned business with its anticipated profits, the Tuesday decision said.

While working for Coca-Cola, You had planned to start a new company in China specializing in manufacturing BPA-free coatings. At the time, six chemical companies—including Akzo-Nobel, BASF, Dow Chemical, and PPG Industries—were trying to sell ...