CRANSTON, RI - Technic Inc. vice president Rob Schetty has pled guilty to conspiring to destroy trade secrets of a competitor. He faces up to 10 years in jail and a $250,000 fine.

As part of his plea, Schetty will also reimburse the competitor - Rohm and Haas - $15,536 to cover losses caused by his directives.

According to published reports, Technic and Rohm and Haas were competing for certain Intel chip plating business. Schetty directed a subordinate to mix the Rohm and Haas plating solution under evaluation with a large amount of pure hydrogen peroxide, upsetting the test results and causing the product to fail.

According to reports, Schetty admitted he obtained quantities of hydrogen peroxide and sent them to his assistant at the testing site, an Amkor plant in the Philippines. In one email, as revealed on MSNBC, Schetty wrote, "We have no choice but to make sure the [Rohm and Haas] evaluation fails."

In a statement, U.S. Attorney Roslynn  R. Mauskopf said, "Destruction of commercial trade secrets is a serious offense and can result in significant commercial injury."
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