Spy Convicted

I have always preferred Coke to Pepsi, so in my mind, this is a win for the good guys:

ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- A federal jury convicted a former Coca-Cola secretary Friday of conspiring to steal trade secrets from world's largest beverage maker in an effort to sell them to rival Pepsi.

Joya Williams faces up to 10 years in prison. No sentencing date was immediately set.

The jury of seven women and five men deliberated for 11½ hours over three days. On Thursday it told U.S. District Judge J. Owen Forrester it was "hung" and could not decide. Forrester told the jury to try again Friday.

Williams showed no visible reaction when the verdict was announced. Her lawyer comforted her as she left the courtroom, and said she plans to appeal.

Williams was fired as a secretary to Coca-Cola's global brand director at the company's Atlanta headquarters after the allegations came to light.

The government says Williams stole confidential documents and samples of products that hadn't been launched from The Coca-Cola Co. and gave them to Ibrahim Dimson and Edmund Duhaney as part of a conspiracy to sell the items to Purchase, New York-based PepsiCo Inc. for at least $1.5 million.