Apple Drops Sue Former Executive Who Accuses Company of Spying on Text Messages

Previously, a former Apple employee who pleaded guilty to defrauding the company of US$17.4 million, or around Rp.255 billion, was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay profits he obtained illegally.

Dhirendra Prasad, who previously worked as a buyer in Apple’s Global Services Supply Chain department, admitted during his tenure to charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States in November 2022.

According to the iMore report, quoted from Engadget, Saturday (29/4/2023), two charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering were dropped during sentencing.

Prasad joined Apple in 2008 and carried out his plans between 2011 and 2018. According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, he conspired with two vendors to commit fraud against Apple by “accepting kickbacks.”

He was also found guilty of stealing parts, inflating invoices, and making Apple pay for goods and services he never received.

Prasad is said to have used insider power to evade Apple fraud detection to avoid arrest for several years.

The government had seized US$5.5 million (around Rp.80.7 billion) worth of assets from Prasad, who was ordered by a judge to pay an additional US$8.1 million (about Rp.119 billion) confiscation fine.

On top of that amount and US$17.4 million, Dhirendra Prasad has been asked to return it to Apple. He was also ordered to pay US$1.9 million (Rp 27.8 billion) to the Internal Revenue Service.