Auburn University Staffer Arrested for Allegedly Leaking Trade Secrets to Rivals
A 24-year-old employee is accused of tampering with computer systems to steal confidential information and share it with competitors.
An Auburn University staffer has been arrested on charges of theft of trade secrets and computer tampering for allegedly stealing sensitive athletic department information and leaking it to rivals. David Rudolph Jenrath, 24, of Franklin, Tennessee, surrendered to Auburn Police on Monday.
According to a police press release, the university's athletic department reported that confidential business information was stolen and subsequently distributed to competitors. One of the recipients reportedly alerted the business to the leak.
Court filings obtained by WSFA.com indicate that Jenrath is accused of stealing "confidential proprietary information consisting of Auburn University Athletics information" without authorization. The filings further allege he tampered with computer systems "with the intent to harass Auburn University Athletics by disclosing... to their opponents."
Jenrath was held on a $15,000 bond in Lee County Jail but is no longer listed on the inmate roster. The identities of the alleged recipients of the stolen information have not been publicly disclosed.
Jenrath's former LinkedIn profile, which has since been deleted, stated he served as a player personnel scouting assistant for Auburn's athletics department from January 2026 to June 2026. His role reportedly focused on running backs and special teams. The profile also indicated he was studying at the University of Tennessee, a conference rival of Auburn and the team's upcoming opponent.
Auburn (3-1) is scheduled to play Tennessee (3-1) in Knoxville on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EST. Records indicate Jenrath received at least five payments from the Auburn University Controller's Office between September and December 2025.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Jenrath for comment, while Auburn officials declined to comment.