Companies from China, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore paid handsomely to obtain information about Apple.
Paul Sean Devine was accused three years ago of selling secrets about how to make devices like the iPhone and iPod. These companies supplied Apple with components and had an obvious benefit from knowing its future plans.
The former Cupertino company executive was taken to the San Jose, where he will serve a one-year sentence. He was also fined $4.5 million.
The 37-year-old MIT graduate was a procurement manager at Apple from 2005 until his arrest in 2010. He was convicted of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering. He was part of a ring that is believed to have paid millions of dollars in bribes to obtain confidential information about Apple 's future plans . Suppliers and manufacturers from Asia used this information to negotiate with Apple on more favorable terms.
Divine was facing a prison sentence that could reach 20 years. However, it is fairly certain that he cooperated with the judicial authorities, revealing other members of the same network.
According to the indictment, the involved companies are located in «various countries in Asia», including China, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore.
Source: protothema.gr
