Indian-American arrested for accepting $280,000 in kickbacks

A 51-year-old Indian-American man has been arrested in the US for allegedly accepting over USD 280,000 in kickbacks for hiring of IT contractors at a transportation authority division in Chicago.

Rajinder Sachdeva was arrested yesterday in Chicago's Schaumburg neighbourhood and is being held in federal custody pending a detention hearing, authorities said.

Sachdeva, the Department Manager of Applications at the suburban bus division of the Regional Transportation Authority PACE - receiving federal funds, oversaw the implementation and performance of the database management system Oracle there, according to the criminal complaint filed in court.

From January 2010 till date, Sachdeva corruptly demanded, accepted, and agreed to accept kickbacks and gratuities for the purpose of hiring and continued employment of IT contractors who worked at PACE via outside vendors, according to the complaint.

Sachdeva allegedly concealed payments that he received, either by obtaining the money through a company that employed the IT contractors and in which Sachdeva's wife possessed an interest, or by obtaining payments directly from the IT contractors.

Sachdeva was paid in excess of USD 280,000 between 2010 and 2014, in exchange for the influence he exerted in placing certain IT contractors at PACE and in their continued employment there.

Sachdeva allegedly told a cooperating witness that he wanted his share for placing people at PACE.

The complaint also alleges that Sachdeva directed a contractor to submit invoices for PACE IT work to the cooperating witness and the company of Sachdeva's wife using the false name 'Sue Peters'.

The contractor then sent an invoice to their company using the false name, and caused an invoice to be submitted to the PACE IT vendor.