The FBI finally figured out how a Russian flew to the United States without a ticket, visa or passport

A Russian man who flew to the United States without a ticket, passport or visa sneaked into the airport terminal through a security turnstile, hiding behind another passenger, reports New York Post.

Photo: IStock

Sergei Vladimirovich Ochigava, 46, was found guilty of sneaking on board a Scandian Airlines flight from Copenhagen to Los Angeles International Airport on November 4, 2023.

After the trial, the jury found Ochigawa guilty of one count of stowaway on an airplane. The maximum penalty for this is five years in federal prison.

How a Russian managed to get on a flight without a ticket

A man with dual citizenship of Russia and Israel followed another passenger through a security turnstile at Copenhagen Airport on November 3, 2023, to gain access to one of the terminals, where he stayed overnight.

On the subject: Brit faces $120 fine for bad joke on plane

The next day, Ochigawa boarded Scandinavian Airlines Flight 931 undetected.

During the 11-hour flight, crew members noticed Ochigawa moving to different seats that were empty.

Ochigawa was stopped by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers after landing at Los Angeles Airport on November 4th. His name did not appear on any incoming international flight lists, including Scandinavian Airlines' passenger list.

He was also unable to produce any identification or travel documents.

“Ochigawa provided false and misleading information about his travel to the United States, including telling CBP that he left his passport on the plane,” federal officials said in a statement.

CBP officers searched Ochigawa's bags and found two passports - Russian and Israeli. They also found a photo on his phone that partially showed his passport, which showed his name, date of birth and passport number, but not his photo.

Ochigawa stated that he “didn’t sleep for three days and didn’t understand what was happening.”

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles federal court two days after his arrest, also details how Ochigawa wandered around the cabin during the flight and tried to talk to other passengers, who ignored him.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants, and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read all this on ForumDaily New York.

During the flight, he enjoyed five-star service, ate double portions of food and even tried to "eat chocolate that belonged to the flight attendants."

Ochigawa also could not explain why he was in Copenhagen in the first place or how he managed to get past airport security.

He has been in federal custody since his arrest in Los Angeles on November 4. U.S. District Judge George Wu set a sentencing hearing for Feb. 5.

As ForumDaily wrote earlier:

• A man with dual citizenship of Russia and Israel flew to Los Angeles on a Scandian Airlines flight on November 4, 2023, without a passport, visa or ticket. He stated that he was "not sure" how he did it.

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