Speaking to the Economic Espionage Act, 18 U.S.C., the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the convictions but
reversed the sentences as too modest in United States v.
Howley, Case Nos. 11-6040; -6071; -6194 (6th Cir., Feb. 4,
2013) (Sutton, J.)
Clark Roberts and Sean Howley worked as engineers at Wyko Tire
Technology. In November 2006, Wyko entered a deal to supply tire
parts to Haohua South China Rubber Company. However, Wyko had never
previously made the Haohua parts. Goodyear, a Wyko customer, used
machines just like the ones Wyko needed to produce the subject tire
parts. Around the same time that Wyko was struggling to design and
make the Haohua parts, Goodyear asked Wyko to send a technician to
repair some of its tire-assembly machines. Wyko decided to send
Roberts and Howley, the two engineers who happened to be assigned
to the Haohua tire part project. Both men signed confidentiality
agreements before their visit, acknowledging that they might
