Former USCIS officer arrested in alleged immigration fraud scheme

A former Senior Immigration Services Officer with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu, and Adeniyi Akeem Somoye have been arrested in connection with an alleged multi-year corruption scheme. Federal agents arrested the pair on September 2 following a criminal complaint filed on August 31.

Prosecutors allege the scheme operated from December 2019 through March 2026, during which Ganiyu allegedly used his position to manipulate and expedite various immigration applications in exchange for money. The targeted forms included petitions for alien relatives, applications for permanent residence, petitions to remove residence conditions, and applications for naturalization.

Investigators claim Ganiyu bypassed mandatory procedures, such as interviews, supervisory reviews, background checks, and jurisdictional restrictions, to unlawfully approve applications. According to the complaint, some applicants who benefited from the arrangement were not legally eligible for the immigration benefits they received.