Ex-Goldman Sachs programmer found guilty of stealing secrets

Former Goldman Sachs Group computer programmer Sergey Aleynikov was found guilty of stealing the firm’s trade secrets by appropriating part of a high-frequency computer source code on his last day at work.

Aleynikov went on trial November 29 in federal court in New York on charges of violating the Economic Espionage Act and the Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property Act. He faces as long as 10 years in prison on the espionage charge and five years for the interstate transportation charge.

US District Court judge Denise Cote set sentencing of Aleynikov for March 18. He and his lawyer both declined comment. He will be under home confinement and electronic monitoring, Judge Cote ruled.

Aleynikov, who is a naturalized US citizen, holds dual U.S.-Russian citizenship, his lawyer Kevin Marino said in court.

Cote directed that Aleynikov limit his travel to the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Jurors left the courthouse after the verdict and all declined comment.

Cote also ordered that Aleynikov surrender all travel documents and directed that three financially-responsible people come back and sign his bond. Assistant Manhattan US Attorney Rebecca Rohr, in her closing statement on Dec. 9, told jurors that Aleynikov was a “thief.” On his last day of work at New York-based Goldman Sachs in June 2009, Aleynikov uploaded hundreds of thousands of lines of source code from the firm’s trading system, she said.