Former Coca-Cola secretary convicted of stealing trade secrets sentenced to 8 years

A former Coca-Cola secretary convicted of conspiring to steal trade secrets from the world's largest beverage maker was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison.

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 (EUR1.1 million). She was convicted Feb. 2 following a jury trial in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, where The Coca-Cola Co. is based.

"This is the kind of offense that cannot be tolerated in our society," U.S. District Judge J. Owen Forrester said in imposing sentence.

A co-defendant, Ibrahim Dimson, was sentenced to 5 years in prison.