SAN JOSE, Calif.—Anthony Levandowski, a pioneer of self-driving car technology who was at the center of a legal fight between Google’s parent company and Uber Technologies Inc., was charged by federal authorities with 33 counts of trade-secret theft.

Justice Department officials announced the indictment against Mr. Levandowski in a press conference Tuesday. The charges are based on 33 downloads in which the information “was reasonably protected by Google, has economic value and was not generally known,” officials said.

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