Former USCIS officer, associate arrested over alleged cash-for-immigration approvals scheme

A former US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officer and another man have been arrested in Texas for allegedly accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars to manipulate and fast-track immigration applications, according to a federal criminal complaint.

Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu, a former senior immigration services officer with USCIS, and Adeniyi Akeem Somoye face charges of conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities by a public official. Federal agents arrested both men on September 2, two days after the complaint was filed in federal court.

The case covers an alleged scheme that operated from December 2019 to March 2026 in the Northern District of Texas.


According to the complaint, Ganiyu used his official position to approve several types of immigration applications in exchange for payments. These included applications for family-based immigration, permanent residence, removal of residence conditions and US citizenship.

Investigators allege that Ganiyu bypassed required interviews, supervisory reviews, jurisdictional restrictions, background checks and other standard USCIS procedures. The complaint says he approved applications for people who were allegedly not eligible under federal law.

Ganiyu and Somoye allegedly collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from applicants. Investigators said some payments directly matched immigration approvals issued by Ganiyu.

Authorities also examined WhatsApp communications involving the two men and several applicants whose cases they handled. The investigation identified thousands of messages and hundreds of phone calls during the period covered by the complaint.

“Selling immigration benefits for cash is a blatant abuse of public trust,” US Attorney 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.”

FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock said the alleged conduct affected the integrity of a process linked to national security.

“The alleged manipulation of immigration decisions for personal gain undermines the integrity of a process essential to our national security,” Rothrock said. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to holding accountable anyone who abuses their position of trust.”

The defendants appeared before a US magistrate judge on September 2. Each faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted.

The USCIS Office of Investigations, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General and the FBI Dallas Field Office investigated the case. Assistant US Attorney Chad Meacham is prosecuting the case.

The complaint contains allegations and does not establish guilt. Both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.