Senior USCIS Officer Arrested in Green Card Scheme Involving Whatsapp Communications

Former senior USCIS official Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu was arrested on September 2, 2026, in a federal case alleging that he accepted payments to manipulate immigration benefit applications, including green cards.

Adeniyi Akeem Somoye, whom prosecutors identify as Ganiyu’s associate, was arrested the same day. The allegations cover a scheme that prosecutors say operated from December 2019 through March 2026.

A criminal complaint filed on August 31, 2026, in the Northern District of Texas charges the pair with conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities for official acts. Ganiyu is described as a former official, not a current senior agency executive.

The alleged arrangement generated hundreds of thousands of dollars from applicants. A reported breakdown put the total at nearly $960,000.

Roughly $671,438 allegedly moved through Zelle and Cash App. Another $287,830 allegedly entered the scheme as cash deposits.

The alleged casework covered several immigration benefits

Prosecutors say Ganiyu used his former position to influence cases involving Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. The filings included family-based applications and requests connected to permanent residence.

The alleged conduct also reached petitions for foreign relatives, naturalization filings, citizenship applications and requests to remove conditions on residency. Those categories can involve different eligibility questions and review requirements.

Prosecutors allege that Ganiyu bypassed mandatory interviews, supervisor review and background checks. The complaint also describes efforts to approve or expedite cases in exchange for money.

“Any attempt to gain lawful immigration status through lies, fraud, or theft is a direct threat to national security,” USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow said in a USCIS fraud statement.

The statement was issued in the context of the agency’s broader fraud enforcement work. It does not determine the outcome of the criminal case against Ganiyu or Somoye.

Investigators traced the arrangement through digital and financial records

The alleged payment discussions relied heavily on WhatsApp communications. Prosecutors say those exchanges helped arrange payments connected to the immigration cases.

Three investigative bodies are identified in the case: the USCIS Office of Investigations, the DHS Office of Inspector General and the FBI Dallas Field Office. Their work formed part of the federal investigation into the alleged scheme.

The payment records described in the case account include both electronic transfers and cash deposits. That combination produced the reported breakdown of nearly $960,000.

The case carries prison and financial penalties if convictions follow

Ganiyu and Somoye each face up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted. The charges remain allegations at this stage.

The complaint’s timeline reaches more than six years, beginning in December 2019 and ending in March 2026. Ganiyu’s arrest came on September 2, 2026, two days after the complaint was filed.

USCIS has highlighted other fraud investigations during the same period. In an August 12, 2026, news release, the agency described its role in a decade-long marriage fraud ring involving 11 defendants and more than 1,000 sham marriages.

The agency said the operation involved people accused of arranging sham marriages to help foreign nationals obtain immigration status. That case is separate from the allegations against Ganiyu and Somoye.

Edlow said USCIS was “aggressively pursuing marriage fraud schemes and the criminal organizations and ringleaders who profit from them.” The agency also said it “will continue to expose fraud, defend the rule of law, and ensure immigration status is reserved for those who truly qualify.”