Feds in Utah Charge Scientist at Frontier Scientific of Stealing Secrets and Sending Them to Brother-in-Law in India

Sometimes it's a particularly bad idea to go into business with family. Well - Prabhu Mohapatra is learning that lesson as he's been charged with violations of the federal Economic Espionage Act for allegedly stealing chemical-based secrets of his employer, Frontier Scientific, and then sending them to a brother-in-law in India for use there.

The Washington Post is reporting that Mohapatra apparently used a company computer to communicate with his brother-in-law, who was in the process of setting up a company called Medchemblox in India to compete against Frontier Scientific in producing the specific chemicals that Frontier Scientific has a niche place in producing. The government quotes Mohapatra in an apparent attempt to stop the brother-in-law from going too fast: “Please do not make any product currently present in Frontier Scientific’s catalogue. I will lose my job and even could face jail time.”

We'll keep an eye on developments in this matter for you.