Friday, March 29, 2024
ADVT 
International

Indian CEO Pradyumna Kumar Samal, 49, Arrested On Visa Fraud Charges

IANS, 04 Sep, 2018 12:07 AM
    An Indian citizen, who was the CEO of two information technology companies in the US, has been arrested in connection with a multi-year visa-fraud scheme involving forged and fraudulent documents to get visas such as H-1B for over 200 foreign workers.
     
     
    Pradyumna Kumar Samal, 49, was taken into custody as he arrived from an international flight at Seattle airport.
     
     
    The criminal complaint describing the visa-fraud scheme was filed under seal in April 2018, soon after Samal fled the United States while the investigation was ongoing. He remained out of the country until this week when he was arrested by law enforcement. 
     
     
    The criminal complaint describes how two companies incorporated by Samal in 2010 and 2011 in Washington state engaged in a scheme sometimes referred to as a "bench-and-switch" scheme, to exploit foreign-national workers, compete unlawfully in the market, and defraud the US government.  
     
     
    According to the investigation that began in 2015, Samal served as the Chief Executive Officer of 'Divensi' and 'Azimetry' in Bellevue, near Seattle.
     
     
    Both companies were in the business of providing information-technology workers, such as Software Development Engineers, to major corporate clients.
     
     
    The complaint alleges that Samal submitted, and directed his employees to submit, forged and false application materials to the United States government, making it appear as if two corporate clients already had agreed to use several foreign-national employees named in the applications. However, neither client had agreed to do so.  
     
     
    The forged documents included forged letters and fraudulent statements of work, which appeared as if they had been signed by senior executives at the two clients. After the US Citizenship and Immigration Services relied on the false representations and approved the work visa applications, Samal's companies “benched” the foreign nationals, leaving those foreign nationals unpaid unless they were able to place those employees at actual end clients. 
     
     
    Nearly 200 workers may have been brought in under the phony applications. The employees were forced to pay Samal's companies a partially-refundable "security deposit" of as much as US$ 5,000 for the visa filings, regardless of whether they were assigned to any projects that provided them with income.
     
     
    Visa Fraud is punishable by up to ten years in prison and a US$ 250,000 fine. 

    MORE International ARTICLES

    UK Exporting Naan To India Shows Spirit Of Post-Brexit Britain: Minister

    UK Exporting Naan To India Shows Spirit Of Post-Brexit Britain: Minister
    "We are in a terrific position to take advantage of the new trading horizons open to us after Brexit," Liz Truss said.

    UK Exporting Naan To India Shows Spirit Of Post-Brexit Britain: Minister

    Kartarpur Corridor Cannot Be Considered In Isolation: Pakistan

    Kartarpur Corridor Cannot Be Considered In Isolation: Pakistan
    A day after Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria visited the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara, where Guru Nanak Dev spent 18 years of his life, Pakistan added riders to the possibility of opening the Kartarpur corridor. 

    Kartarpur Corridor Cannot Be Considered In Isolation: Pakistan

    Pakistan Minister Bans ‘Vulgar’ Movie Posters In Punjab Province

    Pakistan Minister Bans ‘Vulgar’ Movie Posters In Punjab Province
    The minister further warned that if any cinema house resorted to displaying such "vulgar" posters, they would be fined first and upon subsequent violation, the theatre would be shut down.

    Pakistan Minister Bans ‘Vulgar’ Movie Posters In Punjab Province

    Imran Khan Government To Prepare Proposal To Resolve Kashmir Issue

    Imran Khan Government To Prepare Proposal To Resolve Kashmir Issue
    In his victory speech last month, Imran Khan expressed his willingness to improve Pakistan's ties with India

    Imran Khan Government To Prepare Proposal To Resolve Kashmir Issue

    Buddhist Monk Arrested In Bodh Gaya For Alleged Sexual Abuse Of 15 Boys

    Buddhist Monk Arrested In Bodh Gaya For Alleged Sexual Abuse Of 15 Boys
    The monk ran an institution in Mastipur village in Bodh Gaya where the 15 children - all from the Karbi Anglong district in Assam - were studying.

    Buddhist Monk Arrested In Bodh Gaya For Alleged Sexual Abuse Of 15 Boys

    US Extends Suspension Of Premium Processing For H-1B Visas

    US Extends Suspension Of Premium Processing For H-1B Visas
    The US has extended the temporary suspension of premium processing for H1-B visas, popular among Indian IT professionals, as part of its efforts to clear the backlog.

    US Extends Suspension Of Premium Processing For H-1B Visas