GG News Bureau
New York, 24th Oct: An Indian-origin tech employee, Mehul Goswami, 39, has been arrested by U.S. authorities for allegedly defrauding the New York State Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) by secretly working a second full-time job while on state payroll.
According to a joint investigation by the New York State Inspector General’s Office and the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, Goswami allegedly “misused approximately $50,000 in taxpayer money” by working simultaneously for GlobalFoundries, a semiconductor company based in Malta, New York.
Goswami was primarily employed remotely with the state IT department but began his second job as a contractor with GlobalFoundries in March 2022, investigators said. The probe began after officials received an anonymous email alleging he was working for a private firm during official state hours.
Inspector General Lucy Lang described the conduct as a “serious breach of public trust,” stating, “Public employees are entrusted with the responsibility to serve with integrity. Working a second, full-time job while claiming to be working for the State is an abuse of public resources, including taxpayer dollars.”
Goswami was arrested on October 15 and charged with grand larceny in the second degree, a Class C felony under New York law, carrying a maximum prison sentence of 15 years. He later appeared before Judge James A. Fauci in the Malta Town Court and was released without bail, as the offence does not qualify for bail under current state laws.
According to the Times Union, Goswami earned $117,891 in 2024 as a project coordinator for the state. His case has reignited debate on moonlighting among remote employees and the ethical limits of holding multiple jobs simultaneously.
Inspector General Lang added that her office “will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners to hold anyone accountable who undermines the integrity of public service in New York State.”
