med a measly $7,506 in legitimate yearly wages.

Ryan Raybould, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, speaks about the Paris Adult Book Store takedown during a press conference at the Earle Cabell Federal Building in Dallas, Tuesday, July 28, 2026. The Dallas Morning News via GettyImages

As the investigation mounted, Ganiyu was not immediately fired.

Instead, he quietly resigned from USCIS  due to personal reasons  in March 2026, just months before federal authorities moved in to arrest him.

The complaint notes that Ganiyu and Somoye frequently exchanged money  back and forth  with applicants, authorities allege.

This rapid churning of funds on digital apps inflated the total volume of money processed, leading to the $1.7 million figure.

Most of the citizenship applications they dealt with came from African countries, according to prosecutors.

 Selling immigration benefits for cash is a blatant abuse of public trust,  said US Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould in a statement on Friday.

 When a federal official puts a price tag on lawful status, we will intervene immediately. 

Ganiyu and Somoye are charged with conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities by a public official.

Their initial court appearances were held on Sept. 2. They each face up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

USCIS Office of Investigations, DHS Office of Inspector General and the FBI Dallas Field Office investigated the case.

Assistant US Attorney Chad Meacham from the Fraud section is prosecuting the case.