Case 8.14

A former executive assistant to coca-cola’s global brand director, joya Williams was sentenced to eight years in prison for her role in an attempt to sell confidential materials to pepsi. Working with Ibrahim Dimson and Edmund Duhaney, the three hatched a plan to make money by selling the confidential materials. A man named “Dirk” sent a letter to pepsi headquarters in May 2006 offering secrets for sale” included recipes for some coca-cola products and details of future promotions (these now bits were selling $ 15,000) as well as the formula for a new beverage ($75,000)

When Pepsi got the letter, it called coke, coke called the FBI, and the FBI set up a sting operation that included videotaping Ms Williams. Ms Williams was observed on the videotape putting the confidential materials, including bottles of prototype beverages identified by their eight-ounce size and plain white labels,into her personal handbag. Also as part of the sting operation, un undercover FBI agent met the infamous “Dirk” who turned out to the Dimson, on June 16 2006, at atlanta’s Hartsfield-jackson Airport. Dimson handed ober some of the documents and a beverage sample. The documents with the company logo, marked “Classified-Confidential” and “Classified-Highly restricted.” Coke later confirmed that these documents were valid and highly confidential and contained highly classified prop1.5 million. rietary information-in other words, trade secrets. The Undercover agent gave Dimson $30,000 in cash (in $50 and $100 bills) that was in a girl scout cookie box. The undercover agent told Dimson that the cash was a down payment with the remainder to come after the items were authenticated. The two then agreed that there would be more secrets coming for a total price of $ 1.5 million. According to FBiI press releases, Dimson later e-mailed the undercover agent the following.

After leaving , Dimson met in a rental car with Edmund Duhaney, and they drove to Duhaney’s home in a Deatur,Georgia. Call records showed that duhaney was in contact with Dimson and Williams on that day. Following these events, the Undercover agent arranged for a july 5, 2007 metng to transfer documents and$1.5 Million following that meeting, the three were arrested.

When news of the Arrets was made public, pepsi released a statement that included the following .”competition can be fierce, but must also be fair and legal.

William’s sentence in two years longer than prosecutors recommended because the federal judge, j owen Forrester, said, I can’t think of another case in 25 years that there’s been so much obstruction of justice.

The procsecutors indicated that Ms. Williams chose to go trial, a trial that lasted seven days, and that she lied on the stand. “Choices have consequences, and she made those choises Ms Williams testified that she had a habit of just “hording” company documents and e-mails. There was also, however, a recorded tape of her accomplies deciding how to divvy up the money among of three of them. The day after the girl scout cookie box handover, Ms Williams deposited $4000 into her checking account. She testified that the $4000 was a loan from a friend. However the friend did not testify. Duhaney created an account the next day in the name of Noblehouse Group,LLC, with the address used on the account being Duhaney’s Decatur recidence. Bizarrely, William’s residence was destroyed by fire in February 2007 within one hour following her conviction that same day.