http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/examiner/archive/2000/03/23/NEWS15587.dtl


3rd suspect indicted in E. Bay landlord case
Matthew Yi
OF THE EXAMINER STAFF March 23, 2000

Feds say man posed as father of teenage sisters from India

The man accused of cutting a deal with a Berkeley landlord to help
smuggle in two teenage sisters from India by posing as their father
has been indicted by a federal grand jury.

Venkateswara Vemireddy is the third suspect to be indicted in the case
that was prompted by the carbon monoxide poisoning death of one of the
girls in November. He was set to be arraigned Thursday afternoon in
federal court in Oakland.

The other two defendants are East Bay real estate tycoon Lakireddy
Bali Reddy, 62, and his son, Vijay Kumar Lakireddy, 30.

Authorities allege that Reddy wanted the girls brought over from his
home village of Velvadam in south India so he could have sex with
them. An autopsy of the dead girl revealed she was pregnant.

Reddy offered to pay Vemireddy's undisclosed amount of debt in India
and gave him money to buy airplane tickets for him and his sister,
authorities allege.

Reddy's attorney Ted Cassman would not say whether he will be
representing Vemireddy.

"I've been out of town . . . and I was just told that he was indicted.
I don't have any comments right now," Cassman said Thursday morning.

Appointment of an attorney for Vemireddy was one of the items
scheduled for Thursday's hearing.

Vemireddy faces one count of conspiring to illegally bring in
immigrants and two counts of aiding and abetting.

In early 1998, Vemireddy asked for Reddy's help to immigrate to the
United States, according to the indictment filed March 16.

Then in March of the same year, Lakireddy signed a petition for a
skilled-worker visa on behalf of Vemireddy, saying that he would be
working at Active Tech Solutions as a software programmer and analyst
earning $42,972 a year, the indictment said.

However, when Vemireddy came to the Bay Area last April, he instead
worked in the kitchen at Pasand Madras Cuisine restaurant, which Reddy
owns, according to court papers.

Records show the software company, based in Berkeley, was started by
Lakireddy and he had applied for at least 21 such visas. The company
had only three employees and two officers as of early this year,
authorities said.