Dhirendra Prasad faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in jail for collaborating with outside vendors to overcharge Apple for components.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, an ex-Apple employee pled guilty in federal court to cheating Apple out of more than $17 million.
Dhirendra Prasad, 52, of Mountain House, California, acknowledged to collecting bribes, falsifying bills, and stealing parts in a written plea deal submitted on Tuesday, resulting in Apple paying for things and services it never used.
Robert Gary Hansen and Don M. Baker, who conducted business with Apple through their own vendor companies, aided Prasad. Hansen and Baker have already been accused in separate federal criminal prosecutions for their roles in the scams.
From 2008 through 2018, Prasad worked as a buyer in Apple’s Global Service Supply Chain, where he was responsible for procuring components and services from vendors. His deception began in 2011 and persisted until 2018, resulting in a $17 million loss to Apple.
According to the DOJ, Prasad had motherboards delivered from Apple’s inventory to Baker’s business, CTrends, in 2013. Baker then had the components collected, and Prasad arranged for Apple to buy them back. Baker and Prasad divided the money once Apple paid the bogus bills.
According to the DOJ, Prasad arranged for components from Apple’s inventory to be delivered to Hansen’s company in 2016. Hansen would repackage them and resell them to Apple, dividing the proceeds.
The Internal Revenue Service was defrauded by $1.8 million as a result of the illicit payments made in this instance. According to the DOJ, the government has seized $5 million in fraud profits from Prasad’s assets.
Prasad’s sentence hearing is set on March 14, 2023. Prasad faces up to 25 years in jail if convicted. Prior to entering his guilty plea, he faced up to 70 years in federal prison.
