Tesla Trade Secrets Theft Lands German-Canadian in Jail

A German-Canadian resident, Klaus Pflugbeil, has been sentenced to 24 months in U.S. prison for conspiring to steal electric vehicle trade secrets from Tesla. He partnered with Yilong Shao to sell these secrets to FBI agents undercover. Shao remains at large. The case highlights national security concerns.

A German-Canadian individual, Klaus Pflugbeil, has been sentenced to 24 months in a U.S. prison for stealing trade secrets from Tesla, the Department of Justice announced on Monday.

Pflugbeil, 59, pleaded guilty in June to a conspiracy with his business associate, Yilong Shao. They tried to sell Tesla's EV battery manufacturing secrets to undercover FBI agents posing as potential clients from Long Island. While Pflugbeil is now incarcerated, Shao remains at large, with neither his nor Tesla's representatives available for immediate comment.

In a statement, U.S. Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen said that Pflugbeil's actions, which aimed to benefit a China-based company, have critical national security implications. The prosecutors unveiled that their operations extended over several countries and were rooted in stolen information from a leading U.S. electric vehicle firm associated with a Canadian acquisition that matches Tesla's profile.

(With inputs from agencies.)