Six weeks later, three people were to appear in federal court to face charges of stealing confidential information, including a sample of a new drink, from The Coca-Cola and trying to sell it to PepsiCo.
“Competition can sometimes be fierce, but also must be fair and legal,” Pepsi spokesman Dave DeCecco said. “We’re pleased the authorities and the FBI have identified the people responsible for this.” The suspects arrested on Wednesday ﾗ the day a $1.5 million transaction was to occur ﾗ include a Coke executive’s administrative assistant, Joya Williams, who is accused of rifling through files and stuffing documents and a new Coca-Cola product into a personal bag.
Williams, 41, Ibrahim Dimson, 30, and 43-year-old Edmund Duhaney were charged with wire fraud and unlawfully stealing and selling Coke trade secrets, federal prosecutors said.
Atlanta-based Coke thanked Pepsi for its assistance.
Chief executive Neville Isdell said in a memo to employees Wednesday that the company is cooperating with federal authorities. “Sadly, today’s arrests include an individual within our company,” Isdell wrote.
“While this breach of trust is difficult for all of us to accept, it underscores the responsibility we each have to be vigilant in protecting our trade secrets. Information is the lifeblood of the company.”
He said Coke will review its information protection polic-ies, procedures and practices to make sure it safeguards intellectual property. Coke spokesman Ben Deutsch said, the formula for trademark Coca-Cola was not stolen in the theft.
According to prosecutors, on May 19, Purchase, New York-based PepsiCo provided Coke with a copy of a letter mailed to PepsiCo in an official Coca-Cola business envelope.
The letter, postmarked from the Bronx in New York, was from an individual identifying himself as “Dirk,” who claim-ed to be employed at a high level with Coca-Cola and offered “very detailed and confidential information.”
“Dirk” was later identified as Dimson, the FBI says.
Coca-Cola immediately contacted the FBI and an undercover investigation began.
Prosecutors say Williams was the source of the information Dimson offered to provide [to] Pepsi. They say “Dirk” provided an FBI undercover agent 14 pages of Coca-Cola documents marked classified and confidential.
The Nassau Guardian
