The Department of Justice has intensified its efforts against large-scale marriage and immigration fraud schemes. Recently, 11 individuals were charged with orchestrating over 1,000 sham marriages aimed at exploiting the visa system. Additionally, Texas officials target birth tourism centers providing instant citizenship to babies born to Chinese nationals.
A former U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) official and an accomplice face charges for an alleged bribery scheme. They reportedly received almost $960,000 in return for expediting immigration benefit applications, including citizenship. Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu, the former official, and Adeniyi Akeem Somoye, his financial partner, were arrested on charges of conspiring to receive illegal gratuities.
The investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas uncovered extensive communications, including thousands of WhatsApp messages and numerous calls between the defendants and applicants. Between December 2019 and March 2026, Ganiyu and Somoye allegedly expedited applications for those who paid bribes, bypassing necessary immigration processes such as background checks and interviews.
Prosecutors allege that Ganiyu manipulated USCIS systems to prioritize these applications for money. He reportedly granted expedited citizenship for Somoye and approved residency for Somoye’s family. Ganiyu allegedly rerouted applications from various field offices to approve them personally, bypassing local supervision.
Ganiyu received significant sums, about $671,438 through digital payment apps and $287,830 in cash, as reported by court documents. Somoye processed around $1.7 million, keeping part of the money, and handled cash deposits exceeding $449,010. The complaint suggests money exchanges frequently occurred between the defendants and applicants.
Most of the citizenship applications they expedited involved individuals from African countries. Both defendants could face up to five years in federal prison and fines reaching $250,000. Ganiyu resigned from USCIS, citing “personal reasons,” before his arrest. U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould condemned the acts, stating the sale of immigration benefits undermines public trust.