Texas Immigration Officer Allegedly Takes Nearly $960,000 in Bribes to Fast-Track Citizenship
Federal prosecutors have charged a former senior immigration officer and his associate with taking payments to fast-track citizenship and other immigration approvals.
Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu worked as a senior officer at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Texas.
DOJ prosecutors say he pulled cases from multiple field offices and approved applications without the usual reviews.
His associate Adeniyi Akeem Somoye is accused of handling the money side of the operation.
Authorities say the pair used messaging apps to deal directly with applicants and approved forms such as petitions for relatives, adjustment of status, removal of conditions and naturalization. The charged period runs from December of 2019 through March of 2026.
The complaint says they collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from applicants, with some payments lining up with Ganiyu’s approvals.
Both men were arrested September 2nd. Each faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted of conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities.
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