An IT technician employed by Expedia Inc allegedly used his expertise to gain access to executives’ computers, gleaning confidential information which he used to make money trading in the company’s shares.
He allegedly made $331,000 from gaining access to ‘non-public and proprietary information’ belonging to Expedia.
Jonathan Ly, who is no longer with the travel giant, pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud in the US District Court in Seattle on Monday.
Ly, who worked for Expedia’s Hotwire brand, infiltrated employee accounts including those of Expedia’s chief financial officer and its head of investor relations, assistant US attorney Katheryn Frierson said in court documents.
"Ly fraudulently obtained the information in order to execute a series of well-timed and lucrative securities trades in Expedia options," Frierson said.
Ly is accused of stealing information from 2013 until late 2015.
Prosecutors allege Ly continued to steal information even after he left the company in April 2015, by using a company owned laptop he failed to return.
They said he had information about Expedia’s earnings reports and privileged knowledge of market moving events such as the impending approval from the Department of Justice of Expedia’s takeover of Orbitz.
