Five Sentenced to Over 6 Years for $2.5 Million DoorDash Fraud

UPDATE: Five individuals have been sentenced to a combined total of over six years in federal prison for a scheme that defrauded DoorDash Inc. of more than $2.5 million. The sentences were handed down by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, with the final ruling occurring just yesterday in San Jose, California.

The defendants, identified as Matheus Duarte (30, Hayward), Hari Vamsi Anne (31, Cypress, Texas), Sayee Chaitanya Reddy Devagiri (31, Newport Beach), Manaswi Mandadapu (31, Irvine), and Tyler Thomas Bottenhorn (30, Dixon), executed this elaborate scheme between November 2020 and February 2021. Authorities confirmed that the group created fraudulent customer and driver accounts on DoorDash’s platform, which they manipulated to place and fulfill fake delivery orders.

Prosecutors revealed that the defendants utilized insider access to DoorDash’s computer systems to assign orders to these sham driver accounts, resulting in payments for hundreds of deliveries that never occurred. All five pleaded guilty, acknowledging their roles in the fraudulent operation.

The sentences include:
– Duarte: 25 months
– Anne: 22 months
– Devagiri: 21 months
– Mandadapu: 12 months
– Bottenhorn: time served

Additionally, they face three years of supervised release post-incarceration. Financially, Duarte, Anne, Devagiri, and Mandadapu are ordered to pay a staggering $2,590,195 in restitution each, while Bottenhorn is responsible for $2,127,216.

This case highlights the increasing sophistication of fraud schemes targeting major corporations. As authorities crack down on such illegal activities, more individuals involved in similar scams may face severe legal repercussions. Stay tuned for updates as this story continues to evolve.