Jury finds North Carolina man guilty for lying during sentencing in previous case involving theft of company’s trade secrets

SAVANNAH, GA:  A North Carolina man previously convicted for conspiring to steal trade secrets from aircraft manufacturing companies faces additional prison time after a federal jury convicted him for committing perjury in his prior case and for providing false statements to a government agency, namely the FBI.

Craig German, 60, of Kernersville, N.C., was convicted on charges of Perjury and False Statements to a Government Agency after a three-day jury trial in U.S. District Court, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. 

The jury found that German was guilty of committing perjury during the sentencing portion of his prior case when he elected to testify under oath and denied having copied more than 15,000 proprietary engineering drawings and documents onto a removable storage device while he was employed at an aircraft manufacturing company. Additionally, the jury found that German was guilty of providing a materially false statement to the FBI during a voluntary meeting when he emphatically denied copying, taking or otherwise transferring more than 15,000 proprietary engineering drawings and documents to a removable storage device.

“Craig German was found guilty by a jury of his peers for trying to undermine our criminal justice system,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “In choosing to meet with the FBI and to testify at his previous sentencing hearing, German was obligated to tell the truth. Instead, German attempted to deceive the Court and the FBI about his own theft of his former employer’s intellectual property.” 

“Not only did German engage in illegal and deceptive practices to steal trade secrets, but he also blatantly committed perjury,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will not tolerate anyone who tries to deceive the justice system. Hopefully this conviction sends the message that those who try to manipulate and lie to the court will always face additional punishment.”

German faces up to five years in federal prison for each charge. In February 2020, German was sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets.

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer G. Solari and Steven H. Lee.