A Brooklyn man has confessed to fraudulently entering a competitor's laboratory, where he destroyed and stole equipment, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney John Giordano.
Eric Leykin, 33, from Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to wire fraud charges.
Court documents reveal that Leykin was the CEO of a clinical reference laboratory in New Jersey. His business competed with another clinical reference laboratory also based in New Jersey. On June 30, 2022, Leykin purchased and activated a prepaid mobile phone and contacted an employee of the rival company under the guise of being a technician from a vendor servicing their laboratory equipment. This false pretense allowed him to arrange a visit for July 1, 2022, supposedly to service their equipment.
On the day of the appointment, Leykin entered the premises posing as a vendor technician and proceeded to destroy significant amounts of laboratory and computer equipment. He also stole several hard drives from the victim business's equipment.
The charge of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment and fines up to $250,000 or twice the financial gain or loss resulting from the offense. Sentencing is set for July 22, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Giordano credited FBI special agents led by Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark for their investigation leading to this plea. He also acknowledged substantial assistance from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office under Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II and Millburn Police Department led by Chief Brian Gilfedder.
The case is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Trombly and Chana Y. Zuckier.
Defense attorneys include Albert Dayan Esq., Robert DeGroot Esq., and Oleg Nekritin Esq.