Kishore Dattapuram, a resident of Santa Clara, has been sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for his involvement in a visa fraud scheme. The sentencing was delivered by U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila.
Dattapuram, who operated Nanosemantics, Inc., a San Jose-based staffing firm, was indicted in 2019 along with co-defendants on charges of conspiracy to commit visa fraud and visa fraud itself. In November 2024, he pleaded guilty to all charges.
Nanosemantics, Inc., supplied skilled workers to technology firms in the Bay Area and obtained commissions for placing workers at client companies. The company regularly submitted H-1B visa petitions, which are needed for foreign workers to lawfully live and work in the U.S. To obtain an H-1B visa, the employer must submit an "I-129" petition to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirming job details and wages.
Dattapuram and his associates submitted fraudulent applications, falsely asserting specific positions awaited the foreign workers at end-client companies. Payments were made to these companies to falsely list them as potential employers, despite an absence of actual jobs. This allowed Nanosemantics to acquire visas quickly for job candidates and place them immediately once jobs became available, thus giving an unfair advantage over competitors.
Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King announced the sentencing.
Apart from the prison term, Dattapuram has been ordered by Judge Davila to serve three years of supervised release. He must also forfeit $125,456.48, pay a $7,500 fine, and a $1,100 special assessment fee.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Griswold and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Johnny James, with assistance from Lynette Dixon and Nina Burney. The prosecution followed an HSI-led investigation with support from USCIS.