SAN JOSE – Kishore Kumar Kavuru, 49, of Sunnyvale, California, was slammed with a 15-month prison sentence for masterminding a $1.5 million H-1B visa fraud scheme, according to officials from the U.S. Department of Justice, the Labor Office of Inspector General, and Homeland Security Investigations. The sentencing was pronounced by United States District Judge Edward J. Davila.
In May 2021, Kavuru pleaded guilty to a single count of visa fraud, admitting to owning and operating four staffing companies specializing in securing H-1B visas for foreign workers. These visas are intended for skilled professionals employed on a temporary basis by U.S. employers in ‘specialty occupations’ requiring specialized knowledge.
According to the plea agreement, Kavuru submitted over 100 fraudulent applications between 2009 and 2017, falsely describing available H-1B positions at specific companies where no jobs existed. He admitted knowing these statements were false but still signed them under penalty of perjury. His scheme involved charging foreign workers thousands of dollars in cash for visa preparation fees, a clear violation of U.S. Department of Labor regulations.
In addition to the prison term, Kavuru must forfeit $533,350.03 and undergo three years of supervision after his release. The government calculated that his fraudulent activities earned him more than $1.5 million.
Assistant United States Attorney Maia T. Perez led the prosecution with assistance from Lakisha Holliman. The investigation was a joint effort between the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations.
Kavuru is set to surrender on February 10, 2022, to start serving his sentence.
RELATED: Sunnyvale CEO Kavuru Slammed with 15-Month Sentence for Visa Fraud
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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