Ex-Intel Employee Gets Probation for Stealing Trade Secrets to Land Microsoft Job

A former Intel employee, Varun Gupta, was sentenced to two years' probation and fined $34,472 for stealing thousands of files containing trade secrets. These files reportedly aided him in securing a position at Microsoft and were used in processor purchasing negotiations with Intel. While the prosecution sought an eight-month prison sentence, the judge considered Gupta's reputational damage and the $40,000 he already paid in a civil settlement. Gupta has since relocated to France and is pursuing a career in the wine industry.