NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Two Louisiana scientists have been charged with trying to steal trade secrets from the Water Institute of the Gulf, a hydrology research institution in Baton Rouge.
Federal prosecutors say 53-year-old Ehab Meselhe and 42-year-old Kelin Hu face conspiracy charges involving trade secrets and computer fraud and abuse.
The men were indicted May 29 but the document remained sealed until their arrests Tuesday.
Meselhe and Hu are full-time faculty members at Tulane University. Federal prosecutors allege the transfer and theft of intellectual property from the Water Institute, where both previously worked.
Meselhe's attorney Mike Magner says his client is innocent. It was unknown if Hu has an attorney.
"Dr. Meselhe has an impeccable reputation within the professional and academic community in Louisiana and nationally," Magner told WWL-TV. "Besides the fact that Dr. Meselhe developed the computer modeling programs at issue in this case, most of them are and have been available to the public, scientific and engineering communities, and other public and non-profit institutions for the purpose of protecting Louisiana’s coast. Dr. Meselhe is not guilty of the crimes alleged, and he looks forward to having his day in court where we expect that he will be completely exonerated."
Both men have pleaded not guilty.
