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An Indian-origin tech employee in the United States has been arrested on charges of grand larceny after allegedly working two full-time jobs simultaneously, one with the New York State government and another with a private company. Authorities say the man “abused public trust” and misused taxpayer money.
Dual Employment Lands Indian-Origin Techie In Trouble
The accused, identified as Mehul Goswami, 39, reportedly earned over Rs 40 lakh (approximately USD 50,000) through the alleged misconduct. Goswami, who worked remotely for the New York State Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) as a project coordinator, is accused of secretly taking up a parallel full-time role at GlobalFoundries, a semiconductor company based in Malta, New York.
According to a joint investigation by the New York State Inspector General’s Office and the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, Goswami began working with GlobalFoundries in March 2022 while still on the state payroll. The probe was reportedly triggered by an anonymous email that raised suspicions about his dual employment.
Breach Of Public Trust?
Inspector General Lucy Lang described Goswami’s actions as “a serious breach of public trust.” “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,” Lang said in a statement.
Goswami was arrested on October 15 and charged with grand larceny in the second degree, a Class C felony under New York law, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. He was produced before Judge James A. Fauci in Malta Town Court and later released without bail, as the charges did not qualify for pre-trial detention under updated state bail laws. The case remains under judicial review.
Lang added that her office “will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners to hold accountable anyone who undermines the integrity of public service.”
Moonlighting Debate Rekindled In US And India
The case has reignited discussions around moonlighting, the practice of holding multiple jobs simultaneously, a trend that has gained momentum since the pandemic-driven shift to remote work.
Data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that more than 4 million Americans held two jobs in 2022, with several hundred thousand managing two full-time roles. Similarly, the US Census Bureau has reported a steady 10 per cent increase in multiple jobholders between 1996 and 2018.
In India, too, moonlighting has been a contentious topic in the IT and tech industries, where companies like Wipro and Infosys have warned employees against undisclosed parallel employment. Rising living costs and stagnant salary growth have been cited as key reasons behind the growing trend.