'Blatant Abuse of Public Trust': USCIS Officer Charged in Fraud Case

A federal employee has been arrested related to a multi-year immigration fraud scheme in Texas. 

Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu, a former Senior Immigration Services Officer with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Adeniyi Akeem Somoye were arrested on federal charges for their roles in an alleged multi‑year scheme to receive illegal gratuities in exchange for manipulating and expediting immigration applications.

A federal criminal complaint filed Aug. 31 charges the duo with conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities by a public official. Federal agents arrested both on Sept. 2.

“Selling immigration benefits for cash is a blatant abuse of public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “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.”

According to the complaint, from December 2019 through March 2026, Ganiyu used his official position to approve immigration applications — including Forms I‑130: Petition for Alien Relative; I‑485: Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status; I‑751: Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence; and N‑400: Application for Naturalization — in exchange for money.

“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.”

Investigators allege that Ganiyu bypassed required interviews, supervisory review, jurisdictional limitations, background checks and standard USCIS processing protocols to unlawfully expedite approvals for applicants, many of whom were not eligible under federal law. 

The complaint alleges that Ganiyu and Somoye together collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments from applicants, several of which correspond directly with immigration approvals issued by Ganiyu.

Investigators also identified extensive WhatsApp communications between Ganiyu, Somoye and numerous applicants whose immigration cases they handled, including thousands of messages and hundreds of calls during the charged period. 

Their initial court appearances were held on Sept. 2 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. Each defendant faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

USCIS Office of Investigations, DHS Office of Inspector General and the FBI Dallas Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham from the Fraud section is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.