A former Apple worker on Monday pled responsible to the theft of commerce secrets and techniques from the tech agency.

The materials stolen by Xiaolang Zhang was linked to Apple’s work on its first-ever vehicle, a undertaking that’s been out and in of the headlines for years although by no means formally confirmed by the corporate.

Zhang admitted to the cost at a court docket in San Jose, California, on Monday, and for his crime faces as much as 10 years in jail and fines totaling as much as $250,000, in response to CNBC.

The story of Zhang’s involvement with Apple goes again years. He was first employed by the tech large towards the top of 2015 to work on Apple’s automobile undertaking — often known as Project Titan — as a part of a workforce constructing software program and {hardware} for the self-driving automobile.

Three years after becoming a member of, everlasting U.S. resident Zhang give up Apple for XMotors, a Silicon Valley-based Chinese startup centered on creating autonomous-car expertise.

Around the time of his departure from Apple, the corporate reportedly observed Zhang behaving in an uncommon method, conduct that prompted it to launch an inside investigation into its former worker to see if something was amiss. After analyzing Zhang’s MacBook and work-issued iPhones that he was requested to show in, the investigating workforce arrived on the perception that Zhang had probably walked off with confidential knowledge linked to Project Titan.

The former Apple worker stood accused of downloading varied materials that included a 25-page doc containing engineering schematics of a circuit board for an autonomous automobile, and knowledge linked to prototypes of Apple’s automobile.

Zhang’s was finally arrested in July 2018 when federal brokers charged him with theft of commerce secrets and techniques belonging to Apple. After pleading not responsible in 2018, Zhang this week modified tack and admitted to the cost as a part of a plea settlement that’s at present beneath seal.

He’s scheduled to be sentenced on November 14.

While a critical crime, corrupt staff passing on commerce secrets and techniques is nothing new. However, Apple’s excessive profile, famously secretive nature, and ongoing reluctance to formally verify the existence of arguably its most bold undertaking thus far, made the story of Zhang’s unscrupulous actions all of the extra intriguing, and has little doubt prompted Apple to overview its processes in a bid to forestall comparable crimes from occurring sooner or later.

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