A former senior immigration officer in Dallas is accused of turning his government badge into a paid shortcut around the nation’s immigration laws.
A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Texas indicted Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu and co-defendant Adeniyi Akeem Somoye on September 23, 2026. The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the indictment on September 25, 2026. It followed an earlier criminal complaint filed August 31, 2026, and the arrests of both men on September 2, 2026.
Both men face charges of conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities by a public official.
The Job He Was Supposed to Do
Ganiyu worked as a Senior Immigration Services Officer at the USCIS Dallas Field Office. His job existed for a reason. Every green card and citizenship application is supposed to go through background checks, interviews, and eligibility review. That process is what keeps the system honest.
Prosecutors say Ganiyu used that same authority to do the opposite.
The Alleged Scheme
According to the indictment, Ganiyu personally collected roughly $960,000 from applicants between December 2019 and March 2026. Some of that money was allegedly funneled through Somoye.
In exchange, prosecutors allege, Ganiyu approved immigration benefit applications that should have gone through standard review. The cases reportedly covered a wide range of immigration paperwork: Form I-130 petitions for alien relatives, I-485 applications to adjust status to permanent residence, I-751 petitions to remove conditions on residence, and N-400 naturalization applications. In plain terms: green cards and U.S. citizenship.
Investigators allege Ganiyu routinely skipped required background checks, interviews, and supervisory review to fast-track approvals for people who paid him. According to the government, a number of the people who got approved were not actually eligible for those benefits under federal law.
That allegation is the heart of this case. If true, it means the system meant to screen people out didn’t fail by accident. It was allegedly switched off, on purpose, for a price.
How Investigators Built the Case
Investigators say they recovered thousands of WhatsApp messages and call records between Ganiyu, Somoye, and applicants, which prosecutors say document the alleged scheme. The investigation was run jointly by USCIS’s Office of Investigations, the DHS Office of Inspector General, and the FBI’s Dallas Field Office.
The Defense
Ganiyu’s attorney, Alfonso Cabanas, says his client denies any criminal conduct and disputes how the government is characterizing the transactions. Nothing alleged in the indictment has been proven in court.
Where the Case Stands
Ganiyu and Somoye are currently under indictment. No trial date, plea, or conviction has been reported.
Editorial note: the legitimacy gap here isn’t just about money. It’s about the specific job this man held. USCIS officers exist to be the last independent check before someone gets permanent legal status in this country. If an officer can allegedly be bought to skip that check, the damage isn’t limited to the roughly $960,000 at issue — it’s every file he touched over six years.
What’s your verdict on this one? Head to themoraldecayindex.com and tell us where you land.