P.M. BRIEFING : 3 Sentenced in Du Pont Extortion
A plot to extort $10 million from Du Pont Co. for the return of stolen trade secrets on the manufacture of Lycra paid off in jail terms for three men.
U.S. District Judge Joseph J. Longobardi sentenced the mastermind of the scheme, 52-year-old Bruno Skerianz, to 6 1/2 years in prison. His accomplices, Raul Armando Giordano, 37, and Antonio Ruben Inigo, 40, drew 3 1/2 years.
The three Argentines were convicted in December of conspiracy and attempted extortion.
Lycra, the company’s trade name for spandex, is an elastic fiber used in swimsuits and leotards. Prosecutors said Du Pont was given the choice of paying $10 million for the documents or having them sold to a competitor.
The documents were stolen from Du Pont’s Lycra plant in Mercedes, Argentina, where Giordano and Inigo had worked. Skerianz worked for the company more than 20 years ago.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
