Note (added 1 November 2026): this is a news report from February 2009, published on this blog at the time. It reports arrests and charges announced by US authorities in 2009. Charges are allegations, not findings of guilt, and this page does not report on what happened afterwards. The original text is kept below unchanged. A short, general section on checking a US employer and job offer through official sources has been added after it.
Key takeaways
- In February 2009, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported 11 arrests in seven states in an investigation into suspected visa and mail fraud, announced by the US Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa.
- The official press release linked in 2009 no longer opens at its old address.
- Engineers considering a US work visa offer can check the employer and the process through official US government sources, listed below.
The 2009 news report (original post)
DES MOINES, Iowa - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested 11 individuals in seven states Wednesday as part of an investigation into suspected visa and mail fraud. Matthew G. Whitaker, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, announced the operation, which was carried out by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in Iowa, California, Massachusetts, Texas, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and New Jersey.
Those arrested Wednesday by ICE agents include:
- Shiva Neeli, arrested in Boston, Mass.; charged with conspiracy and mail fraud.
- Ramakrishna Maguluri, arrested in Atlanta, Ga.; charged with conspiracy and mail fraud.
- Villiappan Subbaiah, arrested in Dallas, Texas; charged with conspiracy and mail fraud.
- Suresh Pola, arrested in Pennsylvania; charged with conspiracy and mail fraud.
- Vishnu Reddy, arrested in Los Angeles, Calif.; charged with conspiracy, mail fraud and wire fraud.
- Chockalingam Palaniappan, arrested in San Jose, Calif.; charged with conspiracy, mail fraud and wire fraud.
- Vijay Myneni, arrested in San Jose, Calif.; charged with conspiracy and mail fraud.
- Venkata Guduru, arrested in New Jersey; charged with conspiracy and mail fraud.
- Praveen Andapally, arrested in New Jersey; charged with conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, and making false statements in an immigration matter.
- Amit Justa, arrested in New Jersey; charged with conspiracy and mail fraud.
- Karambir Yadav, arrested in Louisville, Ky.; charged with conspiracy and mail fraud.
Ironically all the arrested are Indians, and 7 of the 11 hail from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Follow this link for the official press release from "US Immigration and customs enforcement". Apparently this was waiting to happen given the past history and ease with which these things happen.
It's time for the Indian authorities to take this more seriously.
Link status (checked 1 November 2026): the ICE press release address above returns "not found". ICE publishes its news releases at ice.gov/newsroom; we have not confirmed a current address for this specific 2009 release.
For engineers on work visas: checking an employer and offer through official sources
Many semiconductor and VLSI engineers move to the United States on employer-sponsored work visas such as the H-1B. The points below are general and are not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so always confirm the current position on the official pages, or with a qualified immigration attorney.
- Read the official description of the visa category. USCIS explains who files an H-1B petition and what the process involves on its page on H-1B specialty occupations. In the H-1B process the petition is filed by the employer, not by the worker.
- Look up the employer's petition history. The USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub lets anyone search, by employer name, the petitions that USCIS has approved or denied. An employer with no history is not necessarily a problem, but it is a reason to ask more questions.
- Know how to recognise and report scams. USCIS keeps a page on scams, fraud and misconduct that explains common immigration scams and how to report them.
- Check the job itself. A genuine offer names a real employer, a real role, a work location and a salary. Confirm that the company exists and does the work described, for example through its own website and through industry directories.
- Be cautious about payments. Be wary of any request to pay a recruiter or "sponsor" to secure a job or a visa. Check on the USCIS pages which fees the employer is responsible for.
The Semiconductor Hub's company directory and semiconductor jobs listings can help you research chip companies and the roles they advertise. For a 2009 discussion of visa policy on this blog, see H-1Bs: should US visa policies adjust in this economy?, and for a current view of semiconductor careers, AI's impact on semiconductor jobs.
Frequently asked questions
When was this visa fraud operation reported?
The arrests were announced in February 2009, and this post was published on 15 February 2009.
Where is the official ICE press release?
The 2009 link no longer opens. ICE lists its news releases at ice.gov/newsroom.
How can I check whether a US employer has sponsored H-1B workers before?
Search the employer's name in the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub, which shows approved and denied petitions by employer.
Who files an H-1B petition?
The US employer files the petition with USCIS on the worker's behalf. See the USCIS H-1B specialty occupations page for the current process.
Take this! Andhrites are famous for getting forged bank statements for visa interviews. Atrocious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteNow i stopped trusting my Indians co-workers. There should be some more moral and ethical limits. They don't seem to exist. It shows everywhere. I am sure this is a problem in just a handful of people, but is a very grave situation.
ReplyDeleteI think the curtains are coming down on India :-))))
ReplyDelete