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A federal jury has determined that a Russian man who boarded a flight from Denmark to Los Angeles in November without a passport or ticket is guilty of stowing away on an aircraft.
On November 4, Sergey Vladimirovich Ochigava arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on a Scandinavian Airlines flight 931 from Copenhagen. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer stated in a complaint filed on November 6 in Los Angeles federal court that they were unable to locate Ochigava on the flight’s manifest or any other incoming international flights.
Following a three-day court proceeding, the jury declared Ochigava, age 46, guilty of illegally boarding an aircraft. The U.S. Department of Justice announced that he may receive a sentence of up to five years in federal prison when he is sentenced on February 5.
At the trial, prosecutors provided proof that Ochigava gained access to a terminal at Copenhagen Airport in Denmark without a boarding pass by following a passenger through a security turnstile. The following day, prosecutors claimed that he was able to board the plane without being noticed.
The flight crew informed investigators that while the flight was taking off, Ochigava was occupying a seat that was meant to be empty. After takeoff, he continued to move around the plane, changing seats and attempting to converse with other passengers. However, they ignored him, as stated in the complaint.
According to the complaint, he consumed two meals during each meal service and even tried to eat chocolate that belonged to the cabin crew members.
According to court documents, officers from Customs and Border Protection inspected the individual’s bag and discovered what seemed to be identification cards from Russia and Israel. Additionally, they came across a photo on his phone that displayed a passport with his name, date of birth, and passport number, but without a photograph.
According to the complaint, Ochigava provided inaccurate information about his trip to the United States and initially told CBP that he had left his US passport on the plane. The complaint also stated that he claimed to have been awake for three days and did not comprehend the situation.
Source: independent.co.uk
