Newport Beach Resident Pleads Guilty to DoorDash Fraud

News Summary

Sayee Chaitanya Reddy Devagiri, a 30-year-old from Newport Beach, has pleaded guilty to a conspiracy scheme that defrauded DoorDash of over $2.5 million. The scheme involved manipulating customer accounts and exploiting DoorDash’s software with the help of co-conspirators, including a former delivery driver and employee. The group executed hundreds of fraudulent payment requests between late 2020 and early 2021. Devagiri faces a potential 20-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine, highlighting the security risks within digital platforms.

California – Sayee Chaitanya Reddy Devagiri, a 30-year-old resident of Newport Beach, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a sophisticated scheme that defrauded DoorDash out of over $2.5 million. The guilty plea was entered in a San Jose court on May 13, 2025.

Devagiri’s fraudulent activities, which took place between November 2020 and February 2021, involved a group of four individuals in total, including a former DoorDash delivery driver and a former DoorDash employee. Together, they exploited the system of the well-known San Francisco-based food delivery service to make unauthorized high-value orders by manipulating customer accounts.

The group illicitly accessed DoorDash’s software using credentials obtained from the former employee. They then re-assigned orders manually within the application and falsely reported the deliveries. This involved creating fraudulent driver accounts that claimed the high-value orders had been delivered, triggering payments to be processed. Notably, this manipulation took as little as five minutes and was executed repeatedly across hundreds of transactions.

In total, the fraudulent activities occurred throughout Northern California, including Santa Clara County, where the group successfully executed numerous illegal payment requests to accounts they controlled.

Devagiri was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2024, alongside his co-conspirators: Manaswi Mandadapu, 29; Matheus Duarte, 29; and Hari Vamsi Anne, 30. They were all arrested on October 4, 2024, and each faced charges related to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Manaswi Mandadapu entered a guilty plea to the same charges as Devagiri on May 6, 2025. Additionally, Tyler Thomas Bottenhorn, the former DoorDash employee who aided the scheme by providing access credentials, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in November 2023.

As a result of his guilty plea, Devagiri is facing a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years and could also be hit with a fine of $250,000. A status hearing has been scheduled for September 16, 2025, to determine the next steps in the judicial process.

The case underscores the vulnerabilities that exist within digital platforms and the considerable risks posed by insider access to sensitive information. The rapid technological advancements in food delivery services have unfortunately also attracted criminals looking to exploit such services for financial gain.

This fraudulent scheme not only highlights the serious consequences of cyber fraud but also raises awareness about the need for enhanced security measures to protect companies from insider threats. The investigation into the scheme was conducted thoroughly to ensure accountability and justice for the substantial losses incurred by DoorDash.

As the legal proceedings continue, the incident serves as a reminder of the potential for serious repercussions associated with orchestrating such illicit schemes, both for the individuals involved and for businesses at risk of exploitation.

Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic

• KMBC
• USA Today
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• Wikipedia: Fraud
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Fraud