Episode 178: Russell Atkinson - Trade Secret Theft, Silicon Valley - a podcast by Jerri Williams

Retired agent Russell Atkinson served with the FBI for 25 years. He specialized in investigating high-technology and intellectual property crimes in Silicon Valley and served as a legal adviser. In this episode of FBI Retired Case File Review, Russell Atkinson reviews the first trade secret theft investigation and prosecution in California under the federal Economic Espionage Act of 1996. The case centered on the theft of radiological device technology and encrypted materials by David Kern, the former employee of a Silicon Valley tech firm. David Kern pleaded guilty to one count of trade secret theft. He was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison.

After retiring from the FBI, Russ Atkinson, practiced law and also worked for many high-tech firms in the computer industry including IBM, Fairchild Semiconductor, and AOL. Now retired, he spends time writing crime fiction and is the author of eight mystery novels. His book, Fatal Dose is a fictionalized account of the theft and misuse of X-ray technology inspired by this case. He warns that after reading Fatal Dose you’ll never look at an X-ray machine the same way. You can learn more about Russell Atkinson and his books at his Cliff Knowles Mysteries website.

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Jerri Williams, a retired FBI agent, author and podcaster, attempts to relive her glory days by writing and blogging about the FBI and hosting FBI Retired Case File Review, a true crime/history podcast. Her new book FBI Myths and Misconceptions: A Manual for Armchair Detectives is available wherever books are sold. 

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