A former senior U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer and an associate are facing federal charges over an alleged bribery scheme involving immigration and citizenship applications.
Former USCIS Senior Immigration Services Officer Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu and Adeniyi Akeem Somoye were arrested on September 2, 2026. Prosecutors allege that some immigration cases were expedited or approved in exchange for money.
What prosecutors allege
The alleged scheme ran from December 2019 through March 2026, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas. A federal complaint filed on August 31 charges the pair with conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities by a public official.
Ganiyu allegedly handled applications including family petitions, adjustment-of-status cases and naturalization applications. Prosecutors say some applicants were not eligible for the benefits they received under federal law.
Investigators also identified thousands of WhatsApp messages and hundreds of calls involving Ganiyu, Somoye and applicants connected to the cases.
Nearly $960,000 allegedly linked to Ganiyu
Court-document reporting says Ganiyu received about $671,438 through Zelle and Cash App from citizenship applicants, along with approximately $287,830 in cash deposits. Together, the figures total roughly $959,268, explaining the widely reported $960,000 amount.
The case comes as many lawful applicants continue to face long immigration waits, including Indian employment-based applicants affected by the U.S. green card backlog and estimated 179-year wait.
Somoye allegedly handled $1.7 million in transfers
Somoye is accused of acting as a financial intermediary. Reporting based on court documents says he processed roughly $1.7 million in transfers involving applicants through bank accounts, Zelle and Cash App and allegedly retained part of the money.
He also allegedly deposited about $449,010 in cash.
Applications allegedly bypassed key safeguards
Prosecutors allege that some cases bypassed required interviews, criminal background checks, supervisory reviews and normal USCIS jurisdiction rules.
Ganiyu is also accused of rerouting applications from field offices in Minneapolis, Charlotte and Houston so he could handle them himself. He allegedly fast-tracked Somoye’s citizenship before approving permanent-residence applications involving Somoye’s wife and child.
Faster immigration processing is not automatically improper. USCIS has lawful expedited procedures for eligible cases. The allegation here is that official authority was improperly exchanged for payments.
Applicants tracking wider policy changes may also want to understand recent USCIS green card processing guidance in 2026 and how adjustment-of-status rules can affect individual cases.
Federal charges and possible penalties
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas says both defendants made their initial court appearances on September 2.
Each defendant faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted. Ganiyu resigned from USCIS in March 2026.
The charges remain allegations. A criminal complaint does not establish guilt, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Make Swikblog your go-to source on Google for reliable updates, smart insights, and daily trends.
