Indian faces 10-yr jail for stealing trade secrets

BY A STAFF WRITER

TRENTON (NJ) — An engineer who formerly lived in Mahwah has admitted to stealing trade secrets from two medical technology companies based in northern New Jersey, US Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Ketankumar Maniar, 37, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and attempted theft of trade secrets.

Maniar, an Indian national, has been in custody since his June 2013 arrest. He worked as an engineer at C.R. Bard, based in Murray Hill, from 2004 to 2011, and at Becton, Dickinson and Co., based in Franklin Lakes, from 2012 to 2013.

While working for the medical technology companies, Maniar downloaded files with product information onto computer storage devices, including external hard drives and thumb drives, court documents said. He also used his work email accounts to forward trade secrets to his personal accounts.

FBI agents seized at least one hard drive containing Bard and Becton trade secrets in a June 20, 2013 search of a New Jersey hotel room where Maniar stayed while planning a move back to India.

Maniar faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count of stealing trade secrets. Sentencing is scheduled for September 23.