• May 24, 2007

A former Coca-Cola secretary convicted of conspiring to steal trade secrets from the world's largest beverage maker was sentenced yesterday to eight years in federal prison.

Joya Williams, 42, had faced up to 10 years in prison on the single conspiracy charge in a failed scheme to sell the materials to rival Pepsi for at least $1.5 million.

She was convicted Feb. 2 following a jury trial in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, where Coca-Cola Co. is based.

"This is the kind of offense that cannot be tolerated in our society," U.S. District Judge J. Owen Forrester said in imposing the sentence.