Former USCIS Officer and Associate Indicted in Federal Cash-for-Immigration Scheme
DALLAS — A federal grand jury has indicted a former senior officer with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and his associate in connection with a multi-year cash-for-status scheme that allegedly corruptly approved immigration benefits in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars, federal authorities announced.
Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu, a former Senior Immigration Services Officer with USCIS, and his associate Adeniyi Akeem Somoye were formally indicted on September 23, 2026. The indictment follows their September 2 arrest by federal agents under an August 31 criminal complaint charging the duo with conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities as public officials.
Multi-Year Cash-for-Status Scheme
According to court records, from December 2019 through March 2026, Ganiyu used his official position within USCIS to routinely approve immigration applications in exchange for direct cash payments.
The manipulated filings included several key immigration forms:
-
Form I-130: Petition for Alien Relative
-
Form I-485: Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
-
Form I-751: Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence
-
Form N-400: Application for Naturalization
Investigators allege that Ganiyu and Somoye together collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from applicants. Federal agents matched multiple cash payments directly to official immigration approvals issued by Ganiyu.
Bypassing Security Vetting and Protocols
Federal prosecutors allege that Ganiyu systematically subverted standard government safeguards to expedite approvals for individuals, many of whom were legally ineligible for immigration status under federal law.
Ganiyu allegedly bypassed:
-
Required in-person applicant interviews
-
Mandatory supervisory reviews and jurisdictional boundaries
-
Comprehensive background checks
-
Standard USCIS processing protocols and security workflows
Extensive digital evidence recovered during the investigation revealed thousands of WhatsApp messages and hundreds of calls between Ganiyu, Somoye, and the applicants paying into the scheme.
Statements and Penalties
Both defendants made their initial court appearances before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on September 2. Each defendant faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted.
"The indictment makes clear that Ganiyu gravely betrayed his oath as a public servant, and that he and Somoye knowingly violated federal law," said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. "Their actions, as alleged, corrupted the integrity of our immigration system and jeopardized national security by letting individuals evade essential vetting requirements. These charges underscore that my office will relentlessly pursue anyone who abuses public trust for personal gain.”
“The alleged manipulation of immigration decisions for personal gain undermines the integrity of a process essential to our national security,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to holding accountable anyone who abuses their position of trust.”
The case was investigated jointly by the USCIS Office of Investigations, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG), and the FBI Dallas Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham of the Northern District of Texas Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
