Biswamohan Pani, former design engineer for chipmaker Intel, has been charged with stealing sensitive Intel documents while working for rival company AMD (Advanced Micro Devices)The complaint was followed by a search by the FBI of his house in Worcester, Massachusetts in July which found documents including 13 top-secret files with details of future Intel chip designs, PC World magazine has reported.

The FBI’s criminal complaint states that Pani had resigned from Intel in May, saying that he was switching to another company, but that he could continue to work at Intel till June 11.However, he simultaneously started working for AMD on June 2. Having access to Intel’s computer network, he remotely downloaded the secret files, allegedly in order to turn them in to the rival company.

The FBI has ruled out AMD’s involvement in Pani’s conduct, who likely stole the files to pass them off as his own work to advance his career at AMD. California-based AMD no more employs Pani.

Pleading innocence, Pani told CNN that the design files were meant to help his wife who still works with Intel and were not intended for sale. Pani has not been taken into custody, but he has surrendered his passport to US authorities pending charges.