A former Tesla Motors mechanical engineer is facing federal charges in a San Jose District Court on two counts of felony computer intrusion, and one count of misdemeanor computer intrusion.
Authorities said Canadian citizen, Nima Kalbasi, accessed his former manager's email account and got his hands on communications regarding Telsa employee evaluations and other confidential information, according to a FBI release. Kalbasi then allegedly gave the information to other employees and posted it on a public website where he made "false and misleading comments," in an effort, the FBI said, to damage Tesla's reputation and credibility.
Kalbasi was arrested in August by Customs and Border Protection in Derby Lane, Vt., as he crossed the Canadian border into the U.S. Kalbasi could receive as much as five years in prison for the felony charges and one year for the misdemeanor.
