Ex-Coke secretary sentenced to 8 years
 

ATLANTA - A former Coca-Cola secretary convicted of conspiring to steal trade secrets from the world's largest beverage maker was sentenced Wednesday to 8 years in federal prison.

Joya Williams, 42, faced up to 10 years in prison on the single conspiracy charge in a failed scheme to sell the materials to rival Pepsi for at least $1.5 million. She was convicted Feb. 2 following a jury trial in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, where The Coca-Cola Co. is based.

"This is the kind of offense that cannot be tolerated in our society," U.S. District Judge J. Owen Forrester said in imposing sentence.

A co-defendant, Ibrahim Dimson, was sentenced to 5 years in prison.

Forrester's sentence for Williams was more severe than the 63- to 78-month sentence recommended by federal prosecutors and federal sentencing guidelines.

He said the seriousness of the crime necessitated a departure from the guidelines, which federal judges are not bound by.

"I can't think of another case in 25 years that there's been so much obstruction of justice," the judge said of Williams' conduct.

Forrester ignored a tearful apology by Williams, which was the first time she acknowledged what she did.

"Your honor, I have expanded my consciousness through this devastating experience," Williams said before she was sentenced. "This has been a very defining moment in my life I have become infamous when I never wanted to become famous."

She added, "I am sorry to Coke and I'm sorry to my boss and to you and to my family as well."

The government said Williams stole confidential documents and samples of products that hadn't been launched by Coca-Cola and gave them to Dimson and a third defendant, Edmund Duhaney, as part of a conspiracy to sell the items to Pepsi. Duhaney, like Dimson, pleaded guilty to conspiracy. Duhaney will be sentenced later.

The conspiracy was foiled after Pepsi warned Coca-Cola that it had received a letter in May 2006 offering Coca-Cola trade secrets to the "highest bidder." The FBI launched an undercover investigation and identified the letter writer as Dimson.

Williams was fired as a secretary to Coca-Cola's global brand director at the company's headquarters after the allegations came to light.

Williams' apology Wednesday lasted for several minutes and she asked the judge to show mercy, though Forrester had told her previously that he planned to depart from sentencing guidelines

"Punishment is the memories and the moments that I'm going to miss," she said. "Punishment is never having a family of my own."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Byung J. Pak told the judge that Williams didn't deserve leniency.

"Choices have consequences and she made those choices," Pak said. "She chose to go to trial and she lied on the stand."

At the hearing, prosecutors disclosed that Williams has two prior convictions, one involving making false statements related to unemployment insurance.

Williams' lawyers had repeatedly asserted in court and out of court that Williams had no criminal past, and the government until Wednesday did not challenge that assertion.

When you are as big as Coca-Cola you can send anyone in jail.

Such an terrible crime. Beyond anything that should ever be seen in the US, and she gets that.

But a bunch f drug dealers will walk in 3 years, because they ratted someone out.

8 yrs seems way too harsh for "attempting" to sale product secrets. Justice is hard to figure sometimes.

She got what she deserved!

man if they only knew what went on in this business..lol

It's their fault for being stupid enough to get caught

yeah, like Pepsi really wants the liability of purchasing stolen trade secrets...

8 years is pretty crazy for lying on the stand

exactly...now..some bullshit pop producer in a far off country might

but not pepsi

let's hang her and let all the Enron guys go free.

i think some of the enron people got their day in court already..and i think they got sentenced as well, pretty severe shit. US have a history of hitting very hard on white collar crime.
this lady probably was involved in other criminal acts, just she was found out on this occasion...
If our industry was treated as "serious" as selling beverages, i am sure there are some gfy'ers pissing their pants..

Aah american justice..

wow that's a stupid move

8 yrs is way to much for that crime.
I think the judge did not get laid that day.

go to rehab you bum.

The judge obviously missed Antonio Gonzales' testimony the other day.
:2 cents:

What dumb fucking bitch!

I agree with you there!!! You know a judge is not going to put anyone in jail for taking an Internet company's trade secrets (SEO, site dev, etc).

b-

you're right buddy...:pimp

She is pretty dumb but even so, 8 years is a stretch for something like that i think.

some rapists get less time then that.

You could be right on that, but imagine: if someone like her causes such damage to say a smaller company, think of the influence on the employees' wages...

Sure not talking about Coca Cola, I don't think they would decrease salaries because of a case like this...

Some white man who wanted to stick it to the black woman in court since a woman wouldn't let him stick it in the bedroom...

A colleague in my niche recently got sentenced to five years for child pornography and penetrating a woman 13-17 but this bitch at CocaCola got eight years??

Jesus Christ.

Has nothing to do with jutice but everything to do with money.

It doesn't seem harsh... if an employee betrayed your trust you'd be happy to see them get eight years.

Not that she'll likely serve that many