US authorities arrested an Indian-origin man on ‘grand larceny’ charges last week after he was found working two jobs at the same time. 39-year-old Mehul Goswami has been accused of ‘stealing’ more than $50,000 in taxpayer money by working for a contractor while on the clock for his state job. He now faces up to 15 years in jail for the non-bailable class C felony.
According to reports, the Colonie resident had been employed as a remote worker by the New York state Office of Information Technology Services. He had taken a second job in March 2022 — moonlighting as a contractor for GlobalFoundries in Malta. The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office contends that Goswami worked for the semiconductor company while on the clock as a NY government employee.
“Public employees are entrusted with the responsibility to serve with integrity, and Mr. Goswami’s alleged conduct represents a serious breach of that trust. Working a second, full-time job while claiming to be working for the State is an abuse of public resources, including taxpayer dollars,” a CBS 6 report quoted New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang as saying.
Up to 15 years imprisonment?
Goswami is currently facing more than a decade in jail after being charged with grand larceny in the second degree. This is a class in the state of New York and carries a maximum sentence of up to 15 years. He was arraigned and released on his own recognisance last week, with the case currently pending further legal proceedings.
The arrest was reportedly the culmination of a joint initiative between the office of the Sheriff and the NY state Inspector General.
“My office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold anyone accountable who would undermine the integrity of public service in New York State,” Lang reiterated soon after Goswami was nabbed.