Ex-Uber engineer pleads guilty to trade secret theft from Google

Anthony Levandowski, the engineer at the center of a 2017 lawsuit between Waymo and Uber, has pleaded guilty to one federal charge — of 33 — of stealing trade secrets from Waymo, which could lead to a prison sentence, according to a court document.

Why it matters: The year-long legal dispute, which ended with a settlement between the companies, exposed Silicon Valley's ruthless competition in the quest to build future technologies and reap their financial rewards.

Go deeper: Ex-Uber autonomous driving exec owes Waymo $179 million, files for bankruptcy