In one of the most shocking cases of corporate espionage, Joya Williams, a former executive assistant at Coca-Cola, attempted to sell the company’s most valuable asset—its trade secrets—to rival PepsiCo in 2006.
But instead of cashing in on the confidential information, Pepsi took the high road, alerting Coca-Cola and triggering an FBI investigation that led to Williams’ arrest and eventual conviction.
Williams, then 41, worked as an administrative assistant to the director of global brands at Coca-Cola. Prosecutors alleged that she conspired with two accomplices, Ibrahim Dimson and Edmund Duhaney, to steal proprietary documents and product samples with the intent to sell them to Pepsi.
The scheme unraveled in May 2006 when Pepsi received an anonymous letter from an individual claiming to be a high-level Coca-Cola employee offering confidential information.
Instead of engaging in the illicit transaction, Pepsi immediately reported the attempted breach to Coca-Cola, which contacted the FBI.
The Trial and Defense Claims
Williams’ legal team argued that she was manipulated by her co-defendants, who had previously met in federal prison.
Defense attorney Janice Singer insisted that Williams had no knowledge of the scheme and was merely trying to document her work at Coca-Cola for job security.
However, prosecutors presented damning evidence, including surveillance footage of Williams handling confidential documents, as well as bank and phone records linking her to the plot.
Sentencing and Fallout
Following a high-profile trial in federal court in Atlanta, Williams was convicted of corporate espionage and sentenced to eight years in prison.
Her co-defendants, Dimson and Duhaney, both pleaded guilty and cooperated with authorities.
The case underscored the importance of corporate security measures and ethical business practices, with Pepsi’s decision to expose the attempted leak earning widespread praise.
Williams’ downfall remains a cautionary tale about corporate loyalty, greed, and the severe consequences of breaching trade secrets.
