Two Telugu Men Plead Guilty in U.S. H-1B Visa Fraud Case

Two Dublin residents, Sampath Rajidi (51) and Sreedhar Mada (51), have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit H-1B visa fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.

According to court documents, the fraud took place between June 2020 and January 2023. Sampath Rajidi, who ran S-Team Software Inc. and Uptrend Technologies LLC, filed multiple H-1B visa petitions claiming foreign workers would be employed at the University of California.

Sreedhar Mada, who served as Chief Information Officer at the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, used his position to support these claims, even though the roles mentioned in the applications did not actually exist.

Authorities said the workers were never assigned to university projects. Instead, after securing visas, they were placed with other client companies. The petitions contained false information that influenced visa approvals, giving the accused an unfair advantage and reducing opportunities for legitimate applicants.

Both Sampath Rajidi and Sreedhar Mada are scheduled to be sentenced on July 30, 2026. They face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, with the final punishment to be decided by the court.

The case highlights ongoing concerns around misuse of the H-1B visa system, with U.S. authorities continuing to tighten scrutiny on sponsoring companies.