CHICAGO- A man who allegedly slipped past gate agents and boarded a United Airlines (UA) flight from Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to Los Angeles (LAX) last month is actually a victim, according to his attorney, who says the man was sold a fake ticket and never knew his boarding pass was not genuine.
The case of 25-year-old Abdulrahman Oriyomi, who tried to hide inside the lavatory of the United Airlines aircraft, is only going viral now after his arrest. He was charged with impairing or interrupting the operation of a critical infrastructure facility, weeks after the incident first unfolded at Houston (IAH).
How The United Airlines Stowaway Boarded The Aircraft
According to court documents, Oriyomi arrived at Houston Bush Airport on May 18 and presented what prosecutors describe as a fake boarding pass at the TSA security checkpoint for a United Airlines flight to Los Angeles.
When the boarding pass failed to work, an agent directed him to another podium at the checkpoint and allowed him to enter. Once inside the airside part of the airport, Oriyomi walked to Gate E16, where he attempted to board his first flight to Los Angeles.
Oriyomi scanned the pass twice, but it did not work. After a minor altercation with a United Airlines gate agent, he left the gate area and began wandering the concourse.
About an hour later, Oriyomi reached Gate D4, where another United Airlines flight was boarding for Los Angeles. After watching the boarding flow for a few minutes, he joined the line and appeared to show his boarding pass without scanning it.
Gate agents did not catch that Oriyomi had skipped the scan, and he was allowed onto the plane.
What Happened Once He Was On Board
Once on board, Oriyomi appeared unsure where to sit. He entered a lavatory for a short time, and when he came out, he realized that every seat on the aircraft was occupied.
Oriyomi then went inside another lavatory as the plane began to taxi for departure. At that point, the flight attendants grew suspicious and asked for his name. Oriyomi claimed his name was Lopez and even asked to sit in one of the flight attendant jumpseats, since all passenger seats were taken.
Flight attendants checked the passenger manifest. When they found no one named Lopez on the flight, the aircraft was ordered back to the gate, where law enforcement was waiting.
The flight eventually departed around three hours late after the Houston Police Department brought in a K9 explosive detection dog to sweep the aircraft, which was later given the all clear.
A Citation, Then An Arrest Weeks Later
Surprisingly, Oriyomi was not immediately arrested. Officers cited him for trespass and allowed him to leave the airport.
Following his release, authorities launched an investigation and arrested him last week, at which point the story became public.
In a strange twist, the TSA claims Oriyomi did present a valid boarding pass that let him enter the security checkpoint. It remains unclear whether that boarding pass was for a different flight.
The Attorney’s Claim And Bond Conditions
Oriyomi’s attorney told a Houston court on Monday that his client had been sold a fake ticket and that the entire incident was a misunderstanding. As reported by PYOK, Oriyomi has been held in custody on a $15,000 bond following his arrest.
His attorney said Oriyomi intends to post the bond. The court issued conditions for his release, including a requirement to wear an ankle monitor.
A Similar Fake Ticket Incident In Chile
In August 2024, a man went on a rampage at the American Airlines (AA) check-in desk at Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) in Santiago, Chile, after staff told him he had been sold a fake ticket.
The man had wanted to fly to Miami (MIA), but airport agents refused to issue a boarding pass because they could not find his details in the reservation system.
After learning he would not be traveling to Miami, the man flew into a rage and allegedly pulled a hammer from his bag. As stunned bystanders looked on, he used the hammer to smash the computers and large check-in screens.
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