Apple, one of the world’s most valuable and innovative companies, has been defrauded out of over $17 million by one of its own employees. Dhirendra Prasad, a former buyer in Apple’s Global Service Supply Chain department, has been sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to repay his ill-gotten gains to the tech giant.

Prasad Used His Knowledge of Apple’s Fraud Detection Practices to Evade Arrest

According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, Prasad conspired with two vendors to conduct fraud against Apple by “taking kickbacks, stealing parts, inflating invoices and causing Apple to pay for items and services it never received.” Prasad used his knowledge of Apple’s fraud detection practices to avoid getting caught for years.

Apple

While Prasad was able to evade detection for a while, his schemes were eventually uncovered. He pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States in November of last year. Two charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering were dismissed during his sentencing.

Prasad’s sentence of three years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, sends a clear message that defrauding companies, especially ones as prominent as Apple, will not be tolerated. The US government has already seized $5.5 million worth of assets from Prasad, and he has been ordered to pay an additional forfeiture money judgment of $8.1 million, on top of the $17.4 million he defrauded from Apple. He also must pay $1.9 million to the Internal Revenue Service for not paying taxes on the proceeds of his schemes.

The case of Dhirendra Prasad serves as a cautionary tale for other employees who may consider engaging in fraudulent behavior. Companies like Apple rely on the honesty and integrity of their employees, and any violation of that trust is taken very seriously. It is important for individuals to remember that the consequences of fraudulent behavior can be severe, and they will eventually be held accountable for their actions.

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