East Brunswick Man Stole Trade Secrets From DuPont Plant, Feds Allege

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - An East Brunswick man was arrested Friday morning on charges that he stole computer files containing trade secrets from a DuPont manufacturing facility in Parlin, New Jersey. Anchi Hou, 61, of East Brunswick, was charged with one count of theft of trade secrets. He is scheduled to appear at 2:00 p.m. Friday before Judge Waldor in Newark federal court.

U.S. attorneys allege that sometime between last summer and fall, 2016, Hou allegedly copied and removed thousands of files containing DuPont’s proprietary information, including formulas, data and customer information related to flexographic printing plate technology. He also allegedly took photographs in restricted areas of plant equipment and layouts used to manufacture DuPont’s products. The DuPont plant is located on Cheesequake Road in Parlin.

After allegedly stealing DuPont’s trade secrets, Hou announced his intention to retire from the company by the end of 2016. At some point in 2016, he formed a consulting business intended to provide consulting services to the manufacturing industry. Hou admitted to DuPont officials he secretly copied the files from his DuPont work computer and then uploaded those files onto a personal computer at his residence in order to assist him with his consulting business.

A forensic review of Hou’s personal computer revealed that it contained more than 20,000 stolen DuPont files related to the company’s flexographic printing plate technology. Some of the stolen files include information that DuPont considers trade secrets developed by its employees over the course of the past 40 years and which are critical to its technical, economic and business operations.

The theft of trade secrets charge carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss.

Acting U.S. Attorney William Fitzpatrick thanked security officials in the DuPont corporation for their cooperation in the investigation.

Wikimedia Commons image of a DuPont plant