Car designer jailed 6 years for Ford theft

A Beijing engineer who stole trade secrets from Ford worth an estimated $100 million has been sentenced to six years in a United States federal prison.

Yu Xiangdong, also known as Mike Yu, worked for the automaker as a product designer from 1997 to 2007. He was arrested after a tip off from his girlfriend.

At his trial in Detroit, Michigan, the 49-year-old admitted taking about 4,000 sensitive documents detailing engine and electrical power systems, as well as other vital components, before leaving to work for a rival Chinese company. The court heard Yu even e-mailed his resignation from China.