U.S. Indicts Spanish National and Former G.M. Executive for Taking Secrets to Volkswagen (VA)

On May 21, 2000, a federal grand jury in Detroit returned a six-count indictment, accusing José Ignacio López de Arriortúa, a former General Motors vice president for world purchasing, of industrial espionage. The indictment charges López with defrauding G.M. by taking boxes of its confidential documents with him when he left G.M. to accept a top job at Volkswagen in 1993. The indictment charges López with wire fraud and the interstate transportation of stolen property. In particular, Mr. López is accused of copying G.M. computer files on auto files on auto parts costs and future care models and taking them to VW when to accept the top purchasing job…[more]