A Russian man flew to the United States without a passport or a ticket, only to be apprehended when he arrived in Los Angeles, according to NBC News. According to court documents, Sergey Vladimirovich Ochigava, a Russian-Israeli dual national, flew from Copenhagen to Los Angeles International Airport on a Scandinavian Airlines flight on November 4. He didn’t have a passport or a visa, and officials couldn’t find him on any flight’s passenger list.
“When questioned, Ochigava gave false and misleading information about his travel to the United States, including initially telling CBP that he left his passport on the airplane,” an affidavit said.
The suspect is being held in custody after being charged with stowing away on an aircraft
Most of the flight crew noticed Mr. Ochigava on the flight, saying he wandered around the plane and kept changing seats. He allegedly requested two meals during each meal service and attempted to eat chocolate belonging to cabin crew members at one point.
Officials searched his bag and discovered what appeared to be Russian and Israeli identification cards but no passport.
A Copenhagen Airport spokesperson told The Independent, ”We can see from our surveillance that he has entered without a valid ticket. Copenhagen Airport has provided photo and video material to the authorities who are investigating the case. We take the matter very seriously, and it will be included in the work we continuously do to adjust and tighten our guidelines to improve security.”
The FBI is now looking into the mysterious case. According to Fox News, an agent confirmed that the suspect is being held in custody after being charged with stowing away on an aircraft.
If convicted, the Russian man could face up to five years in prison
The complaint was filed by FBI Agent Caroline Walling, who shared details from an interview with Ochigava on November 5. The suspect claimed to be confused, that he hadn’t slept in three days, and that he couldn’t remember how he boarded a plane without a ticket, boarding pass, or passport.
”Ochigava had a Ph.D. in economics and marketing. He last worked as an economist in Russia a long time ago. He claimed he had not been sleeping for three days and did not understand what was going on. Ochigava stated he might have had a plane ticket to come to the United States, but he was not sure,” Ms. Walling wrote.
“He did not remember how he got on the plane in Copenhagen. He also would not explain how or when he got to Copenhagen or what he was doing there. When asked how he got through security in Copenhagen, Ochigava claimed he did not remember how he went through security without a ticket,” she added.
Ochigava is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles and is scheduled to appear in court later this month. According to the US Code, if convicted, Mr. Ochigava could face up to five years in prison.
