Two California men have pleaded guilty to conspiring to submit fraudulent H-1B visa applications falsely claiming jobs at the University of California.
Sampath Rajidi and Sreedhar Mada admitted in federal court that they conspired to commit visa fraud between June 2020 and January 2023, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.
Prosecutors allege the pair submitted H-1B visa petitions claiming foreign workers had legitimate job offers tied to the University of California system, when in reality those positions did not exist. The Department of Justice announced that the men pleaded guilty on April 17, 2026, to one count of conspiracy under federal law.
Court filings state that Rajidi operated staffing firms S-Team Software Inc. and Uptrend Technologies LLC, which sought H-1B visas for foreign workers. Mada, who served as Chief Information Officer for the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources in Davis, allegedly used his position to lend credibility to the applications.
According to the charging document, the defendants “knowingly and intentionally conspired” to submit false statements in immigration filings, including Form I-129 petitions, by representing that workers had “actual existing job offers” when they did not. Prosecutors claim the scheme relied on listing the University of California as an end-client without proper authorization or real positions available.
Stett Holbrook, an Associate Communications Director for the University of California Office of the President, told The Dallas Express via email that the University fully complied with the federal investigation and that the alleged misconduct was limited to one employee.
“This matter involves the actions of a single individual acting outside the scope of University policy and authority. There is no finding of, or information suggesting, broader institutional misconduct,” Holbrook told The Dallas Express.
Holbrook added, “UC maintains strong safeguards” and “The University of California remains confident in its systems and committed to the highest standards of integrity, accountability, and compliance with the law.”
Authorities further allege that after securing the visas, the defendants marketed those workers to other companies, thereby gaining what the government described as an unfair advantage over competing staffing firms that complied with legal requirements. Because H-1B visas for the private sector are capped annually, the alleged fraud also reduced the number of visas available for legitimate employers, according to the information filed in court.
The plea agreements show both men acknowledged their role in the conspiracy and agreed to forfeit assets tied to the scheme, including cryptocurrency holdings and a combined money judgment of $286,621.28. In exchange, prosecutors agreed not to pursue additional charges related to the alleged fraud and to recommend a sentence at the low end of federal guidelines.
Each defendant faces a statutory maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, though the court will determine the final sentence. Sentencing is scheduled for July 30, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley.
The case adds to a growing number of federal prosecutions involving alleged abuse of the H-1B visa system, which allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, a separate case in North Texas alleges a multi-year immigration fraud scheme involving fraudulent H-1B and employment-based green card applications.
In that case, prosecutors allege that the defendants submitted false information in visa filings over several years to secure immigration benefits for foreign nationals from the Middle East and elsewhere.
Federal investigators in the California case included the Diplomatic Security Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ fraud detection unit, according to the Justice Department.
