As the criminal trial approaches of a Chinese National accused of stealing nearly $1 billion in technology from the Phillips 66 research center in Bartlesville, last-minute preparations are underway in U.S. District Court in Tulsa.
The latest hearing on criminal charges against Tongjin Tan was held last week before federal judge Gregory K. Frizzell. It focused on jury instructions,voir dire and trial briefs which the judge wants finished by October 9 Tan’s trial is set for October 21 and will begin at 9:30 a.m.
Tan worked as a “materials scientists” at the Disruptive Technologies team in the Phillips 66 Research Center in Bartlesville. He worked on large-scale energy storage projects when he suddenly resigned in December 2018. His resignation led to a company review of his computer and eventually an FBI investigation. He was arrested in January 2019 and charged with attempting to steal corporate trade secrets.