Sampath Rajidi and Sreedhar Mada Plead Guilty to H-1B Visa Fraud in California

Two Indian-origin men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit H-1B visa fraud in California after they falsely claimed foreign workers would be employed by the University of California, according to multiple reports.

The defendants were identified as Sampath Rajidi, 51, and Sreedhar Mada, 51, who entered their pleas in the case described by U.S. Attorney Eric Grant.

FOX40

Action News Now said the men “entered their pleas Thursday” and that they faced “up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine,” while FOX40 reported that Rajidi and Mada “submitted their pleas Thursday” and face “up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.”

The Times of India and Greatandhra both said the men “submitted H-1B visa petitions” between June 2020 and January 2023, with the scheme involving “numerous beneficiaries” and false job offers tied to the University of California.

The Financial Express tied the case to UC Davis and said the men were “currently living in Dublin, California,” while Action News Now and FOX40 described them as “Dublin residents.”

Prosecutors said the men’s conduct involved filing fraudulent H-1B Specialty Occupation petitions and then placing the visa holders with private clients rather than university projects.

The case is set for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on July 30, 2026, according to The Financial Express, Action News Now, FOX40, and iNDICA News.

Prosecutors described a scheme in which Rajidi operated visa servicing companies and Mada used his university role to lend credibility to applications for H-1B visas.

The Times of India said Rajidi “operated two visa servicing companies S-Team Software Inc. and Uptrend Technologies LLC,” and Greatandhra similarly described the same two firms.

Greatandhra

The Financial Express and Action News Now both said Mada served as Chief Information Officer of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources located in Davis, with FOX40 also describing him as “chief information officer of Davis-based University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.”

Multiple outlets reported that Mada could not hire H-1B workers for his department without authorization from higher-ups, including The Times of India, Greatandhra, and FOX40.

The Financial Express said Mada’s role gave him “supervisory authority,” and that he “helped them earn an inside edge,” while The Times of India said Mada “had inside information about the university and had supervisory authority.”

Court documents described that the men knowingly submitted false information to USCIS, with The Times of India quoting: “They submitted false information knowing such information was material to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) decisions in granting visas.”

After the visas were approved, prosecutors said the defendants marketed the visa holders to other clients, with Action News Now stating “they marketed these beneficiaries to other clients,” and The Financial Express saying they would “later place workers with private clients.”

The case centered on what prosecutors said were false representations made to USCIS in order to secure H-1B approvals.

“Two Indian-origin men have pleaded guilty to conspiracy in an H-1B visa fraud case involving fake job offers linked to the University of California”

Greatandhra

The Times of India quoted court documents asserting that the defendants “knew that the positions listed on the petitions did not exist and they supplied the H-1Bs to other clients.”

It further quoted the court document: “They submitted false information knowing such information was material to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) decisions in granting visas.”

Greatandhra similarly said investigators found that “both individuals knowingly submitted false information to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), fully aware that the jobs mentioned in the applications did not exist.”

FOX40 added that “Rajidi falsely claimed on the applications that recipients would work at the University of California,” and it said Mada’s status “lent credibility to those fraudulent claims.”

The Financial Express described the defendants’ advantage as tied to the limited nature of H-1B slots, saying the conspiracy “depleted the pool” of work visas available to rival firms.

The Financial Express also said the men were scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L Nunley on July 30, 2026, and that the investigation involved multiple agencies including USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate.

The reporting tied the guilty pleas to an ongoing federal investigation and laid out the next procedural steps, including sentencing.

Action News Now said the men “face up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine,” and it specified that “both men are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy Nunley on July 30.”

The Times of India

FOX40 similarly said “Rajidi and Mada are set to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on July 30,” while The Financial Express gave the full date as “July 30, 2026.”

The Financial Express also said the investigation was led by “the US Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the US Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate.”

iNDICA News listed the same agencies, stating “Multiple federal agencies are involved in the investigation, including the Diplomatic Security Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate.”

The Financial Express named Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Harman as the prosecutor, and iNDICA News also said “The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Harman.”

The Times of India broadened the framing by saying “The administration has launched a crackdown into the H-1B visa abuse,” describing it as “a complex operation involving many levels of fraud.”

While federal prosecutors described the scheme as involving false claims tied to the University of California, FOX40 reported that the university was informed and conducted its own review.

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The Financial Express

FOX40 said “The University of California was informed of the investigation in 2024,” and it quoted a UC spokesperson describing the internal outcome.

FOX40

The spokesperson said the university initiated “its own internal review, determined Mada violated school policy and “took appropriate corrective action.””

FOX40 also included the spokesperson’s statement that “This matter involves the actions of a single individual acting outside the scope of University policy and authority,” and it added: “There is no finding of, or information suggesting, broader institutional misconduct.”

The Times of India framed the case as part of a broader crackdown, saying “The administration has launched a crackdown into the H-1B visa abuse,” and it described “a complex operation involving many levels of fraud.”

The Financial Express similarly said the scheme involved “fake job promises and financial exploitation of visa applicants” as part of “a broader crackdown by U.S. authorities on H-1B visa misuse.”

Taken together, the reporting shows the case’s immediate consequence—sentencing by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on July 30, 2026—and the longer-term scrutiny described by outlets as a crackdown on H-1B misuse.