A sweeping racketeering conviction in Pennsylvania is casting a renewed spotlight on a growing list of federal prosecutions tied to alleged abuse of the H-1B visa program.
Federal prosecutors on March 9, 2026, announced the conviction of Bhaskar Savani, Arun Savani, and Aleksandra “Ola” Radomiak following a jury trial in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, concluding what the Department of Justice described as a decade-long criminal enterprise involving visa fraud, healthcare fraud, and money laundering.
Authorities alleged the defendants filed fraudulent H-1B applications to employ foreign workers unlawfully while also orchestrating a broader scheme that generated more than $32 million in fraudulent Medicaid billings.
“This significant prosecution exemplifies the commitment of the Department of Justice … to identify, disrupt and dismantle organized fraud and those who corruptly manipulate the worker visa and Medicaid programs,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva in the DOJ release.
The case now anchors a broader pattern of enforcement actions nationwide, as federal authorities continue pursuing allegations that some employers and intermediaries exploited the H-1B system through fraudulent job offers, fake payroll arrangements, and misrepresented worker roles.
| Announcement Date | Defendants / Entities | District | Key Charges (H-1B Related) | Scheme/Allegation Summary | Outcome / Status | Press Release Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 9, 2026 | Bhaskar Savani, Arun Savani, Aleksandra “Ola” Radomiak (Savani Group) | Eastern District of Pennsylvania | RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit visa fraud, visa fraud (plus healthcare fraud, money laundering, etc.) | Filed numerous false H-1B visa applications to unlawfully employ foreign workers; solicited salary kickbacks; part of decade-long racketeering enterprise also involving $32M+ Medicaid fraud. | Convicted at trial; sentencing hearings July 2026 (brothers face max penalties of 420+ and 415 years). | OPA & EDPA |
| May 23, 2025 | Abdul Hadi Murshid, Muhammad Salman Nasir, Law Offices of D. Robert Jones PLLC, Reliable Ventures, Inc. | Northern District of Texas | Conspiracy to defraud the U.S., visa fraud, money laundering conspiracy, RICO conspiracy | 7+ year “visa racket” using fake job ads for non-existent positions to obtain DOL certifications, then fraudulent H-1B/EB-2/EB-3 petitions with USCIS; fake payroll returned to visa seekers. | Charged/Indicted. Last pre-trial conference, September 2026. | NDTX |
| April 21, 2025 | Kishore Dattapuram (Nanosemantics, Inc.; co-defendants Aswapathi & Giri) | Northern District of California | Conspiracy to commit visa fraud + 10 counts of visa fraud | San Jose staffing firm filed fraudulent H-1B petitions falsely claiming foreign workers had specific jobs at end-client companies (jobs did not exist); paid sham clients to pose as employers. | Sentenced to 14 months prison, 3 years supervised release, $125,456 forfeiture, $7,500 fine (pleaded guilty Nov. 2024). | NDCA Sentencing |
| December 19, 2024 | Gerardo Dean (attorney), Felicitas Cordero | Northern District of Illinois | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud, immigration fraud | Filed fraudulent H-1B and EB-2 petitions for Filipino workers at nursing facilities; misrepresented jobs as managerial/supervisory when workers would perform lower-level nursing duties at reduced pay. | Charged/Indicted. Cordero pled guilty, February 2026. Gerardo’s case continues. | NDIL |
| April 12, 2022 | Elangovan Punniakoti, Mary Christeena (Innovate Solutions) | Northern District of California | Specialty occupation (H-1B) visa fraud | Submitted fraudulent H-1B visa applications. | Charged/Indicted. Awaiting trial in June, 2026. | NDCA |
| February 11, 2022 | Namrata Patnaik, Kartiki Parekh (South Bay executives) | Northern District of California | Visa fraud, conspiracy, money laundering | Submitted ~85 fraudulent H-1B applications for staffing company; laundered ~$1M in proceeds (indictment later reinstated on appeal Jan. 2025). | Charged/Indicted. Jury selection set for January 2027. | NDCA |
| November 23, 2021 | Kishore Kumar Kavuru (Sunnyvale) | Northern District of California | Visa fraud | Falsified >100 H-1B applications for multiple staffing companies (benched workers, collected fees). | Sentenced to 15 months prison. | DOJ archives / related NDCA releases |
| June 2, 2021 (plea) | Cloudgen LLC (Houston consulting firm) | Southern District of Texas | Conspiracy to commit H-1B visa fraud | “Bench and switch” scheme: recruited Indian workers, obtained H-1B visas via false representations, then placed them elsewhere or kept on bench. | Pleaded guilty (corporate). | SDTX |
| August 20, 2020 | Ashish Sawhney | Eastern District of Virginia | $21M H-1B visa fraud conspiracy | Used four corporations to submit fraudulent H-1B specialty-occupation visa applications. | Arrested/charged. Pled guilty, September, 2021. | EDVA. Plea. |
| December 18, 2019 | Abhijit Prasad (Tracy, CA) | Eastern District of California | Visa fraud (21 counts) + aggravated identity theft (2 counts) | Submitted fraudulent H-1B petitions using false information and identities. | Convicted at trial; sentenced to 36 months prison + $1.2M forfeiture. | EDCA |
Several of the cases remain unresolved.
In the Northern District of California matter involving Mary Christeena and Elangovan Punniakoti, the latest available court order from March 4, 2026, indicates that “Jury selection and trial remain set for July 17, 2026, and July 20, 2026, respectively.” Prosecutors have alleged the pair submitted dozens of fraudulent H-1B applications, though the charges have not yet been tested at trial.
In Illinois, federal prosecutors charged attorney Gerardo Dean and co-defendant Felicitas Cordero with allegedly filing fraudulent petitions tied to nursing facilities. Court records show Cordero pleaded guilty in February 2026, while Dean’s case remains ongoing.
The enforcement trend also includes a North Texas case in which prosecutors allege a seven-year scheme involving fake job postings and fraudulent immigration filings. Abdul Hadi Murshid pleaded not guilty, and the case is still pending, The Dallas Express previously reported.
Across cases, authorities have repeatedly alleged similar patterns: nonexistent jobs used to secure visas, workers placed in lower-paying roles than promised, and financial arrangements requiring employees to return portions of their wages. Defense attorneys and defendants in each ongoing case have either denied wrongdoing, entered not-guilty pleas, or not yet entered a plea.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Federal officials say the Pennsylvania conviction signals continued focus on complex, multi-agency investigations.
“This conviction demonstrates the critical importance of partnerships across law enforcement agencies when confronting complex financial and organized criminal activity,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, according to the DOJ release.
The H-1B Visa is a non-immigrant visa category that allows aliens to come to the United States, with company sponsorship, to perform (mostly) white-collar labor for up to 6 years and sometimes longer.
