A federal judge sentenced a Twin Cities medical device executive convicted of stealing a former employer's secrets to a year and a day in prison.

The judge also ordered Christopher Barry, 46, of Medina, to pay $533,842 to New Hope-based Lutonix Inc. and spend three years on supervised release.

"Christopher Barry stole valuable intellectual property from his former employer in an effort to benefit himself," acting U.S. Attorney Greg Brooker said following last week's sentencing. "The theft of trade secrets is an offense that threatens individuals, businesses and the economy."

In entering his guilty plea in May to theft of trade secrets, Barry admitted to copying six secret design files from Lutonix on April 15, 2015, and then turning in his resignation the next day.

Barry went on to become chief executive of a start-up called Urotronic, where he transferred the files onto his new work computer and shared other Lutonix trade secrets, according to court records.

Urotronic had no knowledge of Barry's actions, the U.S. attorney's office said. The Plymouth-based company said it demanded Barry's resignation upon learning of his actions.

Barry was vice president of research and development at Lutonix from 2007 to 2015, a position that gave him access to the company's proprietary designs for drug-coated balloons — devices that are inserted into blood vessels and precisely inflated to remove blockages. In addition, the drug coating aids in vessel healing after the procedure.

Defense attorneys asked for a sentence of probation that would include community service and home confinement. They argued that Barry had no criminal history, cooperated with prosecutors and has "dedicated his life to nurturing his family and helping others, including mentoring other professionals, to coaching his kids' teams and to taking on active leadership positions on numerous volunteer boards and committees."

The government in its filing before sentencing noted that Barry "betrayed the trust of his employer in order to steal valuable intellectual property that he intended to use to benefit himself at his next job."

However, the prosecution urged no specific length of prison time and gave a nod to Barry's cooperation with the investigation, his willingness to plead guilty and lack of criminal history. Guidelines call for a range of 24 to 30 months.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482