A Houston man, Abdulrahman Oluwatumike Oriyomi, 25, is facing a felony charge following an incident on May 18 at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Authorities claim that Oriyomi used a fake boarding pass to board a United Airlines flight, which then had to return to the gate.
According to court documents from Harris County, Oriyomi is charged with impairing or disrupting critical infrastructure. The incident reportedly led to a three-hour delay for a plane carrying a full load of passengers. It also required responses from various agencies, such as the Houston Police Department, the FBI, Houston Airports, and the Transportation Security Administration.
Prosecutors have requested a $25,000 bond due to the disruption caused. They argue the situation necessitated significant action from multiple agencies, affecting the travel plans of numerous passengers.
The criminal complaint states that Oriyomi bypassed TSA security at Bush Airport before trying to board a flight to Los Angeles. He initially attempted to scan a boarding pass at one gate without success. He later approached another gate, where he snuck past airline employees by waiting until they were distracted.
A witness on the flight noted that Oriyomi sat next to her briefly before moving. She realized the seat was assigned to someone else. After the aircraft started taxiing, flight attendants were informed about an unlisted passenger in the restroom.
Flight crews contacted Oriyomi and discovered he had no assigned seat. Checking the passenger manifest confirmed that no one with his name was booked on the flight.
The aircraft returned to the gate, requiring intervention from law enforcement and security agencies. Investigators examined an image of a boarding pass on Oriyomi’s phone. They concluded that it was fake due to missing key information and a QR code.
A representative from Bush Airport confirmed the forgery. Court records indicate that Oriyomi could not have secured a valid boarding pass without making a reservation first.
The court document also states that prosecutors sought several bond conditions. These included surrendering any passports or travel documents, avoiding the airport, not possessing firearms, and submitting to electronic monitoring if the court deemed it necessary.
The case is currently pending in Harris County’s 180th District Court. There is no immediate information available about Oriyomi’s legal representation. United Airlines, Houston Airports, and the Transportation Security Administration have not commented publicly on the matter.