A Houston man is facing a felony charge after authorities say he used a fraudulent boarding pass to get through security and board a flight at George Bush Intercontinental Airport before the plane was forced to return to the gate.

According to charging documents, 25-year-old Abdulrahman Oluwatumike Oriyomi is charged with impairing or interrupting the operation of a critical infrastructure facility, a felony offense.

Court records show the alleged incident happened on May 18 at Bush Airport. Investigators allege Oriyomi entered the airport, passed through a TSA checkpoint, and later boarded United Flight 469, which was scheduled to travel from Houston to Los Angeles.

According to the complaint, Oriyomi approached a TSA checkpoint at Terminal C and presented identification before going through security screening. Investigators said he later attempted to scan a boarding pass at a departure gate but was unsuccessful.

The charging documents state that Oriyomi continued walking around the airport before eventually approaching another gate area where United employees were checking passengers’ boarding passes. Investigators allege he waited until employees were distracted and then proceeded down the jetway and boarded the aircraft.

A witness told investigators that Oriyomi sat in a seat near her before later moving around the aircraft. The witness said she eventually realized the seat had already been purchased by another passenger.

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Tagged: Airlines BACK TO HOMEPAGE