Former Uber Exec Charged in Waymo Theft Case

The U.S. Dept. of Justice has accused Anthony Levandowski of stealing trade secrets from Waymo before he joined Uber Technologies Inc. to head the ride-hailing company’s autonomous-vehicle project.

The 33-count indictment claims Levandowski, 39, conspired with Uber to steal more than 14,000 proprietary documents about the laser system Waymo was developing for its self-driving-vehicle system.

Levandowski’s lawyer says the indictment, which was filed today in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, merely rehashes discredited claims in a Waymo civil complaint that Uber settled last year for $245 million.

The new charges are a result of an investigation suggested by the judge who presided over the Waymo filing. He said there was “compelling” evidence that Levandowski stole files from Waymo. But he added that Waymo had failed to produce “smoking gun” evidence of the theft. Levandowski refused to testify in that trial, citing his constitutional rights against self-incrimination.

Observers say the lawsuit is certain to probe the business relationship between Levandowski and later discredited Uber CEO Travis Kalanick.

Uber insisted at the time that it neither received nor used any documents from Waymo. But Bloomberg News says emails and text messages uncovered in the subsequent investigation reveal a deep business connection between Levandowski and Kalanick.

Levandowski faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted. The Justice Dept. says its probe into the case continues.