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Apple Manager Arrested In Kickback Scheme

Posted by timothy on from the market-distortion-field dept.

pickens writes "A midlevel Apple manager was arrested Friday and accused of accepting more than $1 million in kickbacks from half a dozen Asian suppliers of iPhone and iPod accessories in a federal indictment unsealed and a separate civil suit. Paul Shin Devine, a global supply manager, and Andrew Ang, of Singapore, were named in a 23-count federal grand jury indictment for wire fraud, money laundering and kickbacks. 'Apple is committed to the highest ethical standards in the way we do business,' Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said in a statement. 'We have zero tolerance for dishonest behavior inside or outside the company.' The alleged scheme used an elaborate chain of US and foreign bank accounts and one front company to receive payments, the indictment said, and code words like 'sample' were used to refer to the payments so that Apple co-workers wouldn't become suspicious."

5 of 218 comments (clear)

  1. Re:highest ethical standards by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    slave labor, destroying the environment, etc...

  2. The Good News by bacon+volcano · · Score: 5, Informative

    Looks like a Global Supply Manager position just became available!

    http://jobs.apple.com/index.ajs?BID=1&method=mExternal.showJob&RID=58206&CurrentPage=7

  3. Apple Manager Arrested In Kickback Scheme by omar.sahal · · Score: 5, Informative

    The indictment describes a scheme in which Devine used his position at Apple to obtain confidential information, which he transmitted to Apple suppliers, including Ang. In return, the suppliers and manufacturers paid Devine kickbacks, which he shared with Ang. The information enabled the suppliers to negotiate favorable contracts with Apple, according to the indictment.

    In case you wanted to know what the scam was, and not read the article.

  4. Re:highest ethical standards by CRCulver · · Score: 4, Informative

    If Americans were willing to work cheaper (and were actually allowed to), we might get some jobs coming back. Instead, we get labor unions that argue for high wages and benefits at the cost of actual jobs.

    The Nordic countries are passionate about unions, with something like 80% of workers belonging to one (versus 7-12% for American private sector workers), and yet their unemployment figures haven't suffered. Blaming unions is the easy thing to do, but examine the chronology and you'll find that offshoring really took off long after the American labor movement ran out of steam.

  5. Re:highest ethical standards by CRCulver · · Score: 4, Informative

    I have a problem with unions requiring a certain minimum salary, paid vacations, and other amenities that only serve to cost the employers money without increasing productivity.

    Again, that's what you get in the Nordic countries, and it doesn't seem to have much of an effect on employment figures.

    In fact, the first item, minimum wages, falls entirely to collective bargaining between unions and industries, at least here in Finland. There is no government-mandated minimum wage. Result? Even the most lowly of cleaners make around $10/hour, with slightly higher wages for night shifts and double pay for Sundays.

    No one forces you to join unions here, or participate in strikes. The union's got your back even if you don't want to pay dues (which are minimal), but of course you do miss out in voicing your concerns in collective bargaining if you don't join.

    The second item, paid vacations, have little to do with unions in most of the developed world because it is mandated by law. Unions might be responsible for the extra 10 days at some places around here, but almost a month of paid leave is universal across the European Union.

    Strange that you think leisure time doesn't increase employee productivity. Exhausted employees don't work as effectively as content ones.