Ex-Intel worker convicted of stealing chip designs

BOSTON (AP) - Federal prosecutors in Boston say a 36-year-old man has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from allegations that he secretly downloaded key computer chip manufacturing and design documents from chipmaker Intel Corp. while looking for a job elsewhere.

Biswamohan Pani faces up to 20 years in prison and other penalties he entered a plea at the U.S. District Court in Boston on Friday to five counts of wire fraud.

Prosecutors say Pani downloaded numerous secret documents detailing Intel's manufacturing and design of computer chips in May 2008, shortly after he announced that he was leaving his job in Hudson.

Intel valued those documents at between $200 million and $400 million. The company detected and reported the theft. FBI agents quickly recovered the documents.

AMD hired Pani and cooperated with investigators. There is no evidence the firm knew the documents existed.