Jury Convicts Ex-Coca-Cola Secretary

During two days on the stand, Williams testified that she didn't steal anything from Coke, but rather took documents and product samples home to protect herself in case her boss questioned whether she was doing her job.

She also claimed that $4,000 in cash she deposited into her bank account in June 2006, just days after Dimson was given $30,000 in cash from an undercover FBI agent in exchange for Coke materials, came from a friend, not from Dimson.

But the friend, Clifton Carroll, testified Tuesday that Williams was lying; he said the most money he ever loaned her was $400, and that was after her July 5 arrest.

Williams' credibility was an issue for the jury to weigh during its deliberations.

After the verdict was announced, Singer said her client had been "prepared for the worst. She was ready for whatever the jury did."

"She's holding her own," Singer added. "She seems pretty strong right now."

Pak, the prosecutor, said, "We're happy with the verdict. It was the right verdict based on the evidence in the case."

He said it's too early to tell what sentence the government will recommend. He noted that under federal guidelines, the fact that Williams testified and denied involvement could weigh against her at sentencing.

Juror Rodney Brown said that when the jury broke Thursday after saying it was deadlocked, the members were split down the middle.

Asked whether Williams' credibility was an issue, he said, "I think there were some issues about how she represented herself."

Brown said the jurors found one piece of evidence particularly important: the wiretapped phone calls between Dimson and Duhaney, in which they discussed the scheme and how to split up the money they hoped to get from Pepsi among themselves and Williams.

U.S. Attorney David Nahmias told reporters after the verdict that Williams "misused her unique access" to confidential Coca-Cola documents "for personal profit."

The trial, including jury selection, lasted 2 1/2 weeks.

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Associated Press Writer Giovanna Dell'Orto contributed to this story.