Federal grand jury returns indictment against ex USCIS official and associate for scheme involving unlawful approval and expedited processing of immigration applications
DALLAS / Friday, September 25, 2026 — United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould announced that on Sept. 23, a federal grand jury indicted a former Senior Immigration Services Officer with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu and his associate Adeniyi Akeem Somoye based on allegations outlined below.
A press release issued Friday, Sept. 4 alleges the following:
- A federal criminal complaint filed Aug. 31 charged the duo with conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities as public officials.
- Federal agents arrested Ganiyu and Somoye on Sept. 2.
- According to the complaint, from December 2019 through March 2026, Ganiyu used his official position to approve immigration applications—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.
- Investigators allege he bypassed required interviews, supervisory reviews, jurisdictional limits, background checks, and USCIS processing protocols.
- Ganiyu and Somoye collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from applicants, many of which corresponded to approvals issued by Ganiyu.
- The scheme involved extensive thousands of WhatsApp messages and calls between the defendants and applicants.
"The indictment makes clear that Ganiyu gravely betrayed his oath as a public servant, and that he and Somoye knowingly violated federal law. 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.”
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.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas
