Wenfeng Lu, Irvine Engineer, Named in New Indictment Alleging Theft of Trade Secrets from Two Medical Device Companies

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Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – A federal grand jury today issued a superseding indictment that charges  Wenfeng Lu, 43, Irvine engineer with stealing and possessing trade secrets belonging to two former employers, both of which develop and manufacture medical devices used to treat cardiac and vascular ailments, according to announcement by the FBI.

            The indictment alleges that Lu stole the confidential and proprietary trade secrets from two different medical device companies with research facilities in Irvine, where Lu worked from January 2009 until he was arrested in 2012.

            During this time, Lu travelled to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) multiple times – sometimes soon after allegedly downloading trade secrets from an employer’s computer and emailing information to his personal email account. Lu was arrested as he prepared to board a plane to the PRC in November 2012, according to court documents.  Lu appeared “to be in the process of setting up a company with other individuals in the PRC to manufacture medical devices,” an FBI agent wrote in an affidavit previously filed in this case.

            Lu was initially indicted in this case in December 2012. That indictment included allegations related only to one of the companies’ trade secrets.  The new indictment incorporates the allegations related to four trade secrets owned by the other.

            The case against Lu has been assigned to United States District Judge, who previously had scheduled a trial for June 21. Lu is scheduled to be arraigned on the superseding indictment on June 13.

            Each of the 12 felony counts alleging the theft and possession of trade secrets carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $5 million.

            This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.