A highly caffinated sentence for dirty coke dealing

As detailed in stories from the AP and Bloomberg, a federal district judge today decided to throw the book at the former Coca-Cola secretary convicted of conspiring to steal the company’s trade secrets (background here).   Here are the highlights from the AP:

Joya Williams, 42, had faced up to 10 years in prison on the single conspiracy charge in a failed scheme to sell the materials to rival Pepsi for at least $1.5 million.  She was convicted Feb. 2 following a jury trial in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, where Coca-Cola Co. is based.

“This is the kind of offence that cannot be tolerated in our society,” U.S. District Judge Owen Forrester said in imposing sentence. A co-defendant, Ibrahim Dimson, was sentenced to five years in prison.

Forrester’s sentence for Williams was more severe than the 63-to 78-month sentence recommended by federal prosecutors and federal sentencing guidelines.  He said the seriousness of the crime necessitated a departure from the guidelines, which federal judges are not bound by. “I can’t think of another case in 25 years that there’s been so much obstruction of justice,” the judge said of Williams’ conduct.  Forrester largely ignored a tearful apology by Williams, which was the first time she acknowledged what she did.