Former Auburn Athletics employee arrested on trade secrets, computer tampering charges
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- Auburn Athletics employee David Jenrath arrested for allegedly stealing and sharing trade secrets with competing teams.
- Court documents allege he disclosed Auburn Athletics secrets to opponents with intent to harass the university.
Newly filed court documents in Lee County provide additional details about the allegations against David Randolph Jenrath. The complaints filed in Lee County District Court on Sept. 28 identify Auburn University Athletics as the entity whose information was allegedly involved. According to one complaint, Jenrath, while employed by Auburn University, allegedly obtained and/or retained confidential proprietary information consisting of Auburn University Athletics information. The complaint further alleges that he knowingly made a copy or reproduction of an Auburn Athletics trade secret and/or communicated or transmitted a trade secret without the owner's consent. The charge is listed as Theft of Trade Secret/Trademark, under Section 13A-8-10.4 of the Code of Alabama 1975, and is classified as a felony. A second complaint alleges Computer Tampering Felony under Section 13A-8-112(3). It alleges that on July 19, 2026, at approximately 9:47 p.m., Jenrath disclosed, used, controlled, or took computer programs, data, or supporting documentation associated with a computer, computer system, or network. The complaint specifically alleges that the conduct was done with the intent to “harass Auburn University Athletics by disclosing the trade secrets of Auburn University Athletics to their opponents.” Christopher Lee Van Horn signed both complaints, and they were filed electronically in Lee County District Court. The documents do not identify the specific Auburn Athletics information allegedly obtained or transmitted, nor the opposing teams or individuals who allegedly received it.
The Auburn Police Department has arrested a 24-year-old Franklin, Tennessee, man following an investigation into the alleged theft and distribution of sensitive business information.
According to Auburn Police, David Rudolph Jenrath was arrested Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, on charges of theft of trade secrets and computer tampering.
The investigation stems from an incident reported in the 300 block of South Donahue Drive in Auburn. Police said a business reported that sensitive information had been stolen and distributed to competitors.
According to investigators, one of the business's competitors received the information and subsequently turned it over to the business.
Through the course of the investigation, Jenrath was identified as the suspect. Auburn Police obtained warrants for his arrest, and Jenrath later turned himself in to the Auburn Police Department.
He was transported to the Lee County Jail, where police said he is being held on a $15,000 bond.
Jenrath's publicly available LinkedIn profile also lists a previous position with the Auburn Athletics Department. According to the profile, he served as a Player Personnel Scouting Assistant focused on running backs and special teams from January 2026 through June 2026.
The profile states that his duties included evaluating high school and transfer-portal prospects, preparing scouting reports and recruiting summaries, assisting with opponent scouting and maintaining recruiting databases.
His LinkedIn profile currently lists him as an Applied Artificial Intelligence/Sports Analytics student at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
Auburn University is scheduled to travel to Knoxville this weekend to face the University of Tennessee in football.
CNAW2News has not been provided information indicating that Jenrath's former employment with Auburn Athletics is connected to the criminal investigation, and no such connection is being alleged in this report.
The reported incident occurred in the 300 block of South Donahue Drive, an area that includes Auburn University-related buildings and businesses.
Editor’s Note: All arrest(s) mentioned across CNAW2News.com, our app and all social media accounts are the result of an investigation and allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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