The United States Department of Justice said Monday that it accused the telecommunications company based in China Hytera for conspiring with former employees of Motorola Solutions Inc. to steal technology digital mobile radio of the American company.
In a partially redacted indictment unsealed in the Northern District Court of Illinois, the government alleges that Hytera Communications Corp. recruited Motorola employees to steal proprietary business data on the radios, known as “walkie-talkies.”
Hytera and Motorola could not be immediately reached for comment.
The indictment says Motorola employees were recruited between 2007 and 2020, receiving higher wages and benefits than they did at Motorola in exchange for stealing trade secrets. The document marks the latest legal blow for Hytera in U.S.
In November, the president of the United States, Joe Bidensigned a decree to prevent Hytera and other Chinese companies, such as Huawei Technologies Co.which have been deemed a security threat, receive new equipment licenses from US regulators.
Under the former president donald trumprecipients of federal funds were also prohibited from using telecommunications equipment manufactured by Hytera.
Hytera now faces 21 criminal charges, including conspiracy to steal trade secrets. The company and the other unnamed defendants are also charged with possession or attempted possession of stolen trade secrets.