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Former PPG chemist charged with stealing trade secrets to undergo psychiatric exam

Former PPG chemist charged with stealing trade secrets to undergo psychiatric exam

A disgruntled ex-PPG chemist accused of trying to sell trade secrets to the Chinese will be evaluated by a psychiatrist to determine if he's competent to stand trial, a federal magistrate said this morning.

The FBI arrested Thomas Rukavina, 62, of Plum, last week and U.S. Magistrate Judge Cynthia Eddy ordered him jailed pending a hearing today at which his lawyer, Lee Rothman, said his client suffers from anxiety and depression and hasn't slept in days.

He asked Judge Eddy to postpone a detention hearing so his mental health can be evaluated.

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She agreed and set his next hearing date for May 26.

The FBI said Mr. Rukavina, who retired from PPG in July 2012, stole trade secrets worth hundreds of millions for plastic windows used on planes and high-speed trains and shared some of the specifications with J.T.M.G Co., a glass concern in Jiangsu, China, specializing in automotive and specialty glass.

First Published: May 11, 2015, 4:42 p.m.

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