Mysterious Man Flew From Denmark To L.A. Without A Passport Or Ticket Last Month
A man without a passport or a ticket flew from Copenhagen to Los Angeles after slipping on board a Scandinavian Airlines flight last month, according to a recent criminal filing.
The man, identified as Sergey Vladimirovich Ochigava, allegedly boarded the plane in Denmark on Nov. 4, somehow managing to bypass security and gate agents at Copenhagen Airport, according to an affidavit filed by an FBI agent.
Ochigava was particularly brazen once he was on board, according to court documents. He reportedly requested two meals during each meal service on the 12-hour flight, changed seats regularly and tried to chat with his fellow passengers.
At one point, he “attempted to eat the chocolate that belonged to members of the cabin crew,” according to the affidavit.
The document added: “The crew members did not see his boarding pass but did note that the seat he initially took during boarding … was supposed to be an unoccupied seat. Some members of the crew conducted head counts for their specific sections, but only to make sure that the aircraft was balanced for takeoff and landing. They did not tally the numbers up.”
Officials discovered he was on board without a ticket when he landed in Los Angeles as he wasn’t listed on the passenger manifest. Ochigava attempted to enter the U.S., telling border officials he had left his passport on the plane. But no document was found. He was taken into custody carrying identification from Russia and Israel, according to reports. Officials believe he is a Russian citizen and Ochigava told the FBI he had a PhD in economics and marketing and last worked as an economist in Russia “a long time ago.”
“When asked how he got through security in Copenhagen, Ochigava claimed he did not remember how he went through security without a ticket,” the affidavit reads.
The court filing says Ochigava told officials he “did not remember how he got on the plane” in the first place, and wouldn’t explain how or when he got to Copenhagen.
“When asked how he got through security in Copenhagen, Ochigava claimed he did not remember how he went through security without a ticket,” the affidavit reads.
He pleaded not guilty this month to a violation of U.S. criminal code that bars people from stowing away on an airplane. Doing so is a felony that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Scandinavian Airlines said it would only confirm that there was a “situation regarding a passenger” on a flight from Copenhagen last month, but wouldn’t elaborate in a statement to The New York Times. The airline added that investigators from both countries were looking into the incident.
Ochigava’s trial is set to begin Dec. 26.
