DETROIT (AP) -- A former General Motors engineer and her husband have pleaded not guilty to charges they conspired to steal secrets about hybrid vehicle technology and sell it to a Chinese rival.
Shanshan Du and Yu Qin (Kin), both of Troy, appeared in federal court in Detroit on Thursday, hours after they were arrested. They mostly remained silent and waived a reading of the indictment.
The government says Du copied thousands of documents before quitting GM in 2005 and worked with her husband to try to use the information for private gain.
The indictment says Qin told people that he had a deal to provide hybrid technology to a major Chinese automaker. Outside court, federal prosecutor Cathleen Corken says there's no indication that the Chinese benefited.
The couple were released on bond.
