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Press Release

Brooklyn Man Charged with Fraudulently Entering Competitor Laboratory and Destroying and Stealing Equipment

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey

NEWARK, N.J. –  A Brooklyn, New York, man was arraigned on charges he allegedly entered a laboratory business on false pretenses and destroyed and stole that business’ equipment, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

Eric Leykin, 32, of Brooklyn, New York, was indicted on May 24, 2023, for committing wire fraud. He was arraigned June 1, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this case:

Leykin was the chief executive officer of a clinical reference laboratory based in New Jersey. Leykin’s laboratory competed against the victim business, another clinical reference laboratory also based in New Jersey. On June 30, 2022, Leykin bought and activated a prepaid mobile phone and called an employee of the business, claiming to be a technician with a vendor that the business used to service its laboratory equipment. On that false pretense, Leykin arranged with the victim business’ employee to come to the business on the following day, supposedly to service the business’ laboratory equipment. On July 1, 2022, Leykin went to the business, entered the premises fraudulently posing as a vendor technician, and proceeded to destroy a significant amount of the business’ laboratory and computer equipment. Leykin also stole multiple computer hard drives.

The wire fraud count carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of either $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; the Millburn Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Gilfedder; and the FBI in New York, under the direction of Assistant Director Michael Driscoll, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Trombly of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

 

Updated June 6, 2023

Press Release Number: 23-163