Indiana Man Sentenced in Tyler Federal Court

TYLER – A Fishers, Indiana man has drawn prison time after pleading guilty to committing perjury. David Hernon, 56, formerly of Richardson, pleaded guilty in December 2015, to making false declarations before the court. He was sentenced Tuesday to 15 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield. Prosecutors say Hernon and his business partner had filed a suit against a Korean company. They alleged breach of contract, trade secret misappropriation, and unfair competition. During the 2014 trial of the case, the two men lied under oath and offered false exhibits to support their claim for damages.

The jury awarded the men’s company $25 million. When the perjury was discovered, attorneys for Korean firm filed an emergency motion for sanctions against Hernon’s company. The district court vacated the verdict, dismissed the case with prejudice, and awarded the Korean company $738,706.47 in attorney’s fees. The case against Hernon’s business partner is still pending.