Indian-origin Apple employee jailed for stealing Rs 138 crore, ordered to return Rs 155 crore

The 55-year-old former Apple employee was a buyer in the iPhone maker's global service supply chain. (Representational image)

An Indian-origin former Apple employee has been sentenced to three years in jail and ordered to pay back $19 million (about Rs 155 crore) after defrauding the tech giant of $17 million (about Rs 138 crore). Dhirendra Prasad pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud Apple and related tax crimes in November 2022.

He has also been ordered to pay Rs 15 crore for tax evasion. The 55-year-old has also been ordered to forfeit more than Rs 44 crore worth of assets and pay an additional Rs 65 crore in cash.

Prasad, who was employed by the iPhone maker between 2008 and 2018, was a buyer in Apple’s global service supply chain, purchasing parts and services from vendors, The Verge reported. In his plea, he admitted to siphoning money from his employer by accepting bribes, stealing parts, inflating invoices, and charging Apple for goods that were never delivered.

The 55-year-old also did not pay tax on the money he made from defrauding the tech giant. He was helped by the owners of two vendor companies, who have been charged in separate cases, the publication reported.

The US Department of Justice stated that Prasad tried to hide his criminal activities by exploiting his position as a buyer and using insider information on Apple’s fraud detection techniques. “By virtue of his position at Apple Prasad was given substantial discretion to make autonomous decisions to benefit his employer,” the Department of Justice stated in a release. “Prasad betrayed this trust, and abused his power to enrich himself at his employer’s expense – all while accepting hundreds-of-thousands of dollars’ worth of compensation from Apple in the form of salary and bonuses.”

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