Man Indicted for Theft of Trade Secrets from Fabricated Metal Products
Inc.
(June 6, 2001)
United States Attorney John A. Danaher III announced today that a federal
grand jury sitting in Hartford, Connecticut, returned a three count indictment
against NICHOLAS DADDONA, age 44, of 22 Catering Road, Wolcott, Connecticut,
charging him with two counts of theft of trade secrets and one count of unauthorized
access of a computer.
According to the indictment, DADDONA, while employed by Fabricated Metal Products,
Inc. ("FMP"), located in Naugatuck, began working for a competitor,
Eyelet Toolmakers Inc. of Watertown, without FMP’s knowledge. FMP is
engaged in the business of custom design and production of deep drawn metal
products, such as ammunition components, sprinkler parts, and fuel filter
cans. While working simultaneously for both companies, the indictment charges
that DADDONA stole and duplicated from FMP unique engineering plans for the
development and manufacture of a large transfer press and tooling specifications
and delivered them to Eyelet and another company working for Eyelet. The plans
were stored on FMP’s computers. The indictment also charges DADDONA with
one count of unauthorized access to FMP’s computers.
If convicted of stealing trade secrets, DADDONA faces a maximum penalty of
up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 on each count. If
convicted of the charge of unauthorized access of a computer, DADDONA faces
a maximum penalty of up to 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.
United States Attorney Danaher stressed that an indictment is only a charge
and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial at
which it will be the Government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable
doubt.
The case was investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria A. Kahn
and Keith A. King and Trial Attorney Joseph Metcalfe of the U.S. Department
of Justice’s Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section.
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