Posted on Monday, August 16 2010 @ 17:59 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
Paul Shin Devine, a global supply manager at Apple, was arrested Friday for allegedly receiving over $1 million in kickbacks from Asian firms that make accessories for Apple's iPod and iPhone lineup. Devine was charged in a federal grand jury indictment of offenses that include wire fraud, money laundering and illegal monetary transactions, as well as in a civil suit filed by Apple, which includes allegations of fraud and breaches of racketeering laws.
According to the indictment and the civil suit, Devine came up with an elaborate scheme in which he supplied companies like Cresyn Co. Ltd. in South Korea, Kaedar Electronics Co. Ltd. in China and Jin Li Mould Manufacturing Pte. Ltd. in Singapore with confidential information that would let them negotiate favorable contracts with Apple.
In return, Devine demanded payments, which were sent to bank accounts in his wife's name in amounts that were small enough to avoid attention. He shared part of the money with Ang, who was an employee of Jin Li, and helped broker deals with Jin Li as well as others.
Apple's lawsuit said Devine began working for Apple in July 2005 as a manager responsible for selecting and managing relationships with companies that supply Apple with parts and materials for iPods and iPod accessories.
Source: WSJ
