NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- Federal authorities say a Mahwah man was planning to go to India with a New Jersey company's stolen trade secrets for self-administered disposable pens.
U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman announced Wednesday that 36-year-old Ketan Maniar, an Indian national, was charged with stealing trade secrets for his own economic benefit from a worldwide medical technology company headquartered in Franklin Lakes. The company is among the world's leading suppliers of medical devices.
According to court documents, Maniar is an engineer who was part of a group at the company that was manufacturing pre-fillable syringes and pen injectors. In the weeks leading up to his resignation last month, Maniar allegedly downloaded 8,000 files containing step-by-step assembly instructions and invoices for equipment to create self-administered disposable pens.
Suspicious downloading was detected by company representatives during the time, including on the day before Maniar's resignation — when he called out sick.
The FBI executed a search warrant on Maniar's hotel room in Franklin Lakes, where he was staying before going to India. Computers, hard drives and storage devices were seized.
Maniar was ordered detained after a court hearing in Newark on Wednesday afternoon. A bail hearing is scheduled for June 12.
Maniar's attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
