Illustration depicting vulnerabilities in food delivery services amid the pandemic.
Sayee Chaitanya Reddy Devagiri, a 30-year-old Newport Beach resident, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud after attempting to steal over $2.5 million from DoorDash. His fraudulent scheme involved manipulating customer orders using unauthorized access to DoorDash’s software while employed as a driver. Devagiri now faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, following his arrest alongside co-defendants involved in the scheme. The case highlights vulnerabilities in online delivery services during the pandemic.
California – Sayee Chaitanya Reddy Devagiri, a 30-year-old resident of Newport Beach, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a San Jose federal court. The guilty plea, entered on Tuesday, stems from a fraudulent scheme in which he attempted to steal over $2.5 million from DoorDash while employed as a driver during 2020 and 2021.
Devagiri’s actions involved placing high-priced orders using customer accounts, employing an elaborate process that included unauthorized access to DoorDash’s software. Specifically, he utilized an employee’s credentials to manually reassign orders to driver accounts he controlled, falsely marking these orders as completed to trigger payments for deliveries that were never made.
After reporting non-existent deliveries, Devagiri would revert the order status back to “in process” to continue the fraudulent activity. This process allowed for the rapid execution of fraudulent transactions, with each order being manipulated in under five minutes. Such activities were reportedly repeated hundreds of times, contributing to the staggering total of fraudulent payments exceeding $2.5 million.
Devagiri was arrested on October 4, 2024, alongside three co-defendants: Manaswi Mandadapu and Tyler Thomas Bottenhorn. Both co-defendants have also faced legal repercussions for their involvement in the scheme. Mandadapu pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on May 6, 2025, while Bottenhorn, who had a brief tenure with DoorDash in 2020, pleaded guilty to separate charges in November 2023.
Devagiri’s guilty plea marks him as the third defendant convicted in this case. He now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, in addition to a potential fine of $250,000. His next court status hearing is scheduled for September 16, 2025, where further proceedings will determine the final implications of his guilty plea.
The fraudulent activities began during the height of the pandemic when food delivery services, like DoorDash, saw a significant increase in demand, rendering systems potentially more vulnerable to exploitation. Fed by a surge in online orders, Devagiri’s scheme capitalized on the pressures and changes within the company, allowing him to exploit weaknesses in the management of customer accounts and delivery systems.
DoorDash, headquartered in San Francisco, is one of the largest food delivery services in the United States and has been a lifeline for many restaurants and consumers, especially during challenging times. However, this case highlights the potential for fraud in online platforms reliant on user confidence and operational integrity.
The repercussions of such fraud not only impact the companies involved but also can carry broader economic effects, including potential increases in customer fees or shifts in service availability. As the legal outcomes progress, the case may serve as a cautionary tale for both employees and delivery service providers about the vulnerabilities inherent in digital commerce.
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