A former U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer, Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu, was arrested and charged in an alleged scheme to sell immigration benefits, including green cards. He was arrested Sept. 2 on allegations of what investigators described as a yearslong corruption scheme involving immigration applications.
According to prosecutors, between December 2019 and March 2026, Ganiyu used his position at USCIS to approve immigration applications in exchange for money. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas said he unlawfully approved and expedited applications for permanent residency and citizenship by bypassing required federal review procedures.
The applications allegedly included Form I-485, which is used by people seeking lawful permanent resident status, commonly known as a green card, as well as petitions involving family sponsorship, removal of conditions on residency and naturalization.
According to media reports, Ganiyu was arrested along with his alleged financial accomplice, Adeniyi Akeem Somoye. Ganiyu and Somoye discussed the arrangements in “extensive WhatsApp communications” and collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from applicants, according to prosecutors.
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An affidavit obtained by Newsweek alleges investigators identified approximately $287,830 in unexplained cash deposits into Ganiyu’s accounts, along with roughly $671,438 in direct payments through Zelle, Cash App and other platforms. At least some of the payments were linked to USCIS applicants, according to the filing.
The affidavit also alleges that Ganiyu earned about $407,838 in salary between 2020 and 2025 and had no other reported employment while working for the agency.
The investigation began with allegations in May 2025 that Ganiyu was selecting and processing certain applicants outside normal agency practices and policies, according to the affidavit. Investigators said a review of his government email account uncovered personal bank statements, including records showing several Zelle payments from Somoye.
The affidavit also said Ganiyu joined USCIS in November 2018 and worked in Kansas, Texas and North Carolina before being promoted to senior immigration services officer in Dallas in April 2024.
According to the affidavit, Ganiyu assigned himself to Somoye’s naturalization application and approved it on the same day in December 2022. Investigators allege Ganiyu bypassed required interviews, supervisory oversight, jurisdictional restrictions, background checks and other standard USCIS procedures to expedite applications.
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According to prosecutors, many of the beneficiaries were not eligible for the immigration benefits they received under federal law.
“Selling immigration benefits for cash is a blatant abuse of public trust,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said in a press release. “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.”
“There is no place in this agency for corruption, abuse of authority, or violations of public trust,” USCIS wrote on X.
The case was investigated by the USCIS Office of Investigations, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and the FBI’s Dallas Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham.