Indian Man "Earns" Rs 40 Lakh By Moonlighting In US, Faces 15-Year Jail

Mehul Goswami, a 39-year-old Indian-origin New Yorker, was arrested by the US authorities on charges of "grand larceny" for moonlighting as a contractor while he was working for the New York State Office of Information Technology Services. In a joint investigation, the New York State Inspector General's Office and the Saratoga County Sheriff's Office found that Goswami's illegal conduct was tantamount to the misuse of $50,000 in taxpayer money, according to US media reports. 

Goswami was reportedly working for the New York State Office remotely. It was his primary job, but simultaneously, he started working as a contractor for GlobalFoundries-- a semiconductor company-- in Malta from March 2022. 

An anonymous email reportedly triggered an investigation against Goswami over allegations that he worked for a private employer during the same hours he was supposed to be fulfilling his responsibilities as a state employee.

"Public employees are entrusted with the responsibility to serve with integrity, and 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," Inspector General Lucy Lang said, according to a report by CBS 6 news.

On October 15, the Saratoga County Sheriff's Office arrested Goswami for grand larceny in the second degree, which is a serious class C felony in New York and carries a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

Goswami appeared before Judge James A Fauci in the Malta Town Court later in the week and was released without bail while the case remained ongoing. Under the updated New York state law, charges pressed against Goswami are not considered a qualifying offence for bail. 

"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 added. 

According to a Times Union report, Goswami worked as a project coordinator for the state, earning $117,891 in 2024. His case has renewed debate about moonlighting in remote jobs.