Vice President of AMX Corporation Sentenced To Three Years Probation For Leveraging Inside Information on Chief Competitor

David A. Goldenberg was convicted of corporate espionage by Judge Harry G. Carroll at the Bergen County Courthouse for intercepting proprietary e-mails from his company’s chief competitor while working as a vice president for Richardson, TX, based AMX Corporation, a subsidiary of Duchossis Industries. On June 26, Goldenberg was sentenced to three years probation, including psychological counseling, and will have to pay fines following his conviction and sentencing for felony wiretapping (Case Number- 822-08 Indictment Number- S412-09)

Sapphire Marketing notified the authorities in February of 2008, Goldenberg was arrested following a six week investigation by the Paramus Police Department (a member of the Computer Crimes Task Force). He was charged with Unlawful Access of a Computer System / Network- (2C:20-25b), Unlawful Access of Computer Data / Theft of Data- (2C:20-25c) and Conducting an Illegal Wiretap- (2A:156A-27) and was released on $50,000 bail. On May 11, 2009, Goldenberg entered a plea of guilty to felony wiretapping.

The investigation revealed that, while an employee of AMX Corporation, Goldenberg had infiltrated Sapphire’s e-mail accounts. He was intercepting emails related to potential contracts, which afforded him advanced knowledge of Sapphire’s customers and bid prices affording him an opportunity to underbid them. He then established a free email account and created an automatic forward of the victim’s email to that address.

“One of our employees was going to be away and needed to establish an ‘out of office reply’ for her email and that is when she noticed her email was being forwarded to an unfamiliar external address,” said owner of Sapphire Marketing, a sales representative for Crestron Electronics, Marla Suttenberg. “We had been suspicious of a leak for some time but this seemed to confirm our suspicions and we quickly brought this information to the authorities’ attention.”

The estimated losses for Sapphire and Crestron can not be quantified as sensitive material has been compromised.

“Mr. Goldenberg is paying the price, but it is hard to believe that his employer and our chief competitor, AMX Corporation, has not benefitted from this illegally acquired information,” said executive vice president of Crestron Electronics Randy Klein. “The full damage caused by the compromising of this information is immeasurable and has seriously impacted our past, present and future business.”

Prior to being hired by AMX, he had been a customer of  both Sapphire Marketing and Crestron Electronics. Goldenberg approached Crestron for employment in May of 2007 and was not hired. He was hired by AMX in June 2007 as general manager of their east coast office and was promoted to vice president before his arrest.

“It is ironic that a self-professed courtroom technology expert would be pleading guilty for using technology to spy on a competitor,” said Suttenberg.

 

Founded in 1969, Crestron Electronics is the world’s leading manufacturer of advanced control and automation systems. Its integrated solutions control audio, video, computer, and environmental systems are examples of innovating technology that simplify and enhance modern businesses. Crestron streamlines technology to improve resource management, operational efficiency and convenience in commercial buildings, universities, hotels, hospitals and homes.
With its global headquarters in Rockleigh, New Jersey, Crestron has sales and support offices throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Latin America and Australia. For more information, please visit www.crestron.com