CUPERTINO, CA — A former Apple employee pleaded guilty Tuesday in connection with a $17 million scam, the Department of Justice said in a news release.
Dhirendra Prasad, 52 of Mountain House (San Joaquin County), pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with multiple schemes defrauding the Cupertino tech behemoth, the DOJ said.
Prasad pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, the DOJ said.
He also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of five years, the DOJ said.
Prasad remains out of custody pending his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for March 14, according to the DOJ.
Prasad also agreed to forfeit assets valued at approximately $5 million, the DOJ said.
Prasad, who from 2008 to 2018 was a buyer in Apple’s Global Service Supply Chain, admitted in a written plea to taking kickbacks, inflating invoices, stealing parts, and billing Apple for services never received, the DOJ said.
Prasad admitted these schemes totaling $17 million continued through 2018.
Prasad admitted his co-conspirators in the fraud schemes were Robert Gary Hansen and Don M. Baker, who reside in the Central District of California, according to the DOJ.
Hansen and Baker, who each owned vendor companies that engaged in business with Apple, were charged earlier in separate federal…
