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Russian man flew from Denmark to Los Angeles: A Russian male who traveled on a plane from Denmark to Los Angeles in November without a passport or ticket informed U.S. authorities that he couldn’t recall how he managed to pass through security in Europe, as stated in a federal complaint lodged by the FBI.
Sergey Vladimirovich Ochigava arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on Nov. 4 via Scandinavian Airlines flight 931 from Copenhagen. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer was unable to locate Ochigava on the flight manifest or any other incoming international flights, according to the complaint filed Nov. 6 in Los Angeles federal court.
He faced charges for being a stowaway on an aircraft and entered a plea of not guilty during a Dec. 5 arraignment. A trial was set for Dec. 26. A federal public defender representing Ochigava, who remained in custody on Tuesday, did not promptly return a phone message from The Associated Press seeking comment.
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The flight crew informed investigators that during the departure, Ochigava was occupying a seat that was designated as unoccupied. After the plane took off, he roamed around the aircraft, switched seats, and attempted to engage with other travelers, who disregarded him, according to the complaint.
He also indulged in “two meals during each meal service, and at one point tried to consume the chocolate that belonged to members of the cabin crew,” according to the complaint.
Ochigava did not possess a passport or visa to enter the United States, officials stated. Customs and Border Protection officers searched his bag and discovered what “appeared to be Russian identification cards and an Israeli identification card,” federal officials mentioned in court documents. They also found in his phone a photograph that partially displayed a passport containing his name, date of birth, and a passport number but lacking his photograph, they mentioned.
Ochigava “gave false and misleading information about his travel to the United States, including initially telling CBP that he left his U.S. passport on the airplane,” the complaint says.
Scandinavian Airlines did not promptly respond to an email seeking comment.
Ochigava informed FBI agents that he holds a doctorate in economics and marketing and that he had most recently worked as an economist in Russia.
“Ochigava claimed he had not been sleeping for three days and did not understand what was going on,” the complaint said.
He conveyed to officials that he might have had a plane ticket to come to the United States, but he was uncertain. He also stated that he couldn’t recall how he managed to pass through security in Copenhagen and declined to elaborate on his activities in the Scandinavian city, according to the complaint.
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