A former senior immigration services officer with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been arrested alongside an associate over an alleged scheme to take illegal payments in exchange for manipulating and fast-tracking immigration applications.
The former officer, identified as Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu, and his alleged associate, Adeniyi Akeem Somoye, were arrested by federal agents on September 2, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
A federal criminal complaint filed on August 31 accuses the two men of conspiring to receive illegal gratuities by a public official. Both made their initial court appearances on September 2 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
Allegedly sold immigration approvals for cash
According to investigators, the alleged scheme operated from December 2019 to March 2026, during which Ganiyu allegedly used his official position to approve several types of immigration applications in exchange for money.
The applications included petitions for relatives, applications for permanent residence, petitions to remove conditions on residence and applications for U.S. citizenship.
Prosecutors allege that Ganiyu bypassed required interviews, supervisory reviews, jurisdictional restrictions, background checks and other standard USCIS procedures to speed up applications.
Some of the applicants, according to the complaint, were allegedly not eligible for approval under federal law.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars allegedly exchanged
The complaint alleges that Ganiyu and Somoye collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from applicants seeking immigration benefits.
Investigators reportedly found that some of the payments corresponded directly with immigration approvals issued by Ganiyu.
Authorities also uncovered extensive WhatsApp communications involving Ganiyu, Somoye and several applicants whose cases they allegedly handled. Investigators said the communications included thousands of messages and hundreds of phone calls during the period under investigation.
‘Selling immigration benefits for cash’
The U.S. authorities described the alleged conduct as a serious abuse of public trust.
“Selling immigration benefits for cash is a blatant abuse of public trust,” U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould said.
“When a federal official puts a price tag on lawful status, we will intervene immediately. Public corruption will never be tolerated in the Northern District of Texas,” he added.
FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock also said the alleged manipulation of immigration decisions for personal gain threatened the integrity of a process considered important to U.S. national security.
USCIS vows to uphold integrity
Following the arrests, USCIS said its employees are expected to maintain the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct.
“There is no place in this agency for corruption, abuse of authority, or violations of public trust,” the agency said, while thanking the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas for pursuing the case.
The investigation was conducted by the USCIS Office of Investigations, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and the FBI Dallas Field Office.
Defendants face up to five years if convicted
Ganiyu and Somoye each face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted.
However, the U.S. Department of Justice stressed that the criminal complaint contains allegations and is not evidence of guilt. Both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
