Ex-Apple manager pleads guilty in kickback case

A former manager at Apple has pleaded guilty in a major kickback case that could land him 20 years in prison. Paul Shin Devine, once employed at Apple as a supply manager, admitted guilt yesterday in federal court in San Jose, Calif., on charges of wire fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering. He was accused of taking kickbacks from Apple suppliers in exchange for information, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Devine, who worked at Apple from 2005 through 2010, sent forecasts, roadmaps, product specifications, and other confidential information to Asian suppliers and manufacturers of Apple components, according to court documents. In return, he received payments from those suppliers based on the amount of business they were able to win from Apple. The confidential information that Devine provided helped suppliers negotiate better deals with Apple and cost the company more than $2.4 million, Devine admitted as part of his plea agreeement. In total, Devine was charged with 15 counts of wire fraud, 1 count of wire fraud conspiracy, 6 counts of money laundering, and 1 count of “engaging in transactions with criminally-derived proceeds.” The wire fraud charges stem from the various bank accounts both in the U.S. and abroad that… Read full this story

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