The 15th Judicial Circuit Solicitors Office arrested a Murrells Inlet man and charged him with a violation of the SC Trade Secrets Act, an arrest warrant shows.
Thomas Edward Flynn, 60, worked for Metglass and gave trade secrets to the India-based company Vajai Electricals, Inc, according to an arrest warrant obtained by NewsChannel 15.
The warrant says Flynn, a former plant manager, began working for Metglass in Conway on June 30, 1975.
During his tenure at Metglass, Flynn did "receive, obtain and possess trade secrets specific to Metglass technology," the warrant showed.
The warrant says Flynn then began working for Vajai Electricals and set up an office in its India location.
It appears, from the warrant, that Metglass became suspicious when one of its manufactures told them Vajai had inquired to them about producing casting nozzles. The information Vajai gave to the manufacturer as part of its inquiry included a drawing that incorporates many proprietary aspects of the Metglass technology, the warrant shows.
Metglass, among other things, produces amorphous metals, and Vijai manufactures electrical power & distribution transformers which uses amorphous metals. Using such metals, according to Vijai's web site, saves energy.
According to the warrant, after Flynn began working for Vijai, the company quit buying amorphous metals from Metglass and instead began producing its own.
Flynn was arrested Dec. 23 at his Mt. Gilead home in Murrells Inlet and taken to J. Reuben Long Detention Center. A judge set his bail at $25,000, and Flynn was released.
A message left at Flynn's home Monday night had not been returned as of this posting.
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