By: MATTHEW DOLAN

A former Ford Motor Co. engineer who went to work for a Chinese competitor pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to two counts of stealing trade secrets, prosecutors said.

Xiang Dong Yu, aka Mike Yu, of Beijing, China, is expected to return to court in Detroit on Feb. 23 for sentencing. According to his plea agreement, the 49-year-old should receive a prison term between 63 and 78 months based on losses worth more than $50 million to Ford, according to his plea agreement with prosecutors. He remains in federal custody.

The plea deal also requires that Mr. Yu be deported after his time behind bars.

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