Authorities have detained a man who arrived in the U.S. on a flight from Denmark Nov. 4 saying he had no idea how he got on the aircraft.
The Washington Post reported that Sergey Vladimirovich Ochigava, a dual Russian-Israeli national in his mid-40s, arrived at Los Angeles International Airport with no passport, ticket or recollection of boarding the flight.
Making the case even more bizarre is the fact that the man did not appear on the flight’s manifest, indicating he may have been a stowaway.
Yet, according to FBI court documents, the man requested two meals at each meal service, was seen walking around the plane and even attempted to start conversations with fellow passengers.
At one point, he is even accused of trying to eat chocolate that belonged to the plane’s cabin crew during the 12-hour flight from Copenhagen to Los Angeles.
Ochigava is now facing charges of violating a section of the U.S. Criminal Code making it illegal to board an aircraft without the necessary permissions from its owner.
Sergey Ochigava, a Russian Israeli man, landed at Los Angeles International Airport with no ticket or passport.
He says he has no idea how he got on the plane. https://t.co/gtIGOF2Ttc
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) December 12, 2023
In the affidavit filed by FBI agent Caroline A. Walling, Ochigava claimed he had not slept for three days and could not remember why or how he boarded the aircraft.
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“Ochigava did not remember how he got on the plane in Copenhagen,” Walling wrote. “Ochigava also would not explain how or when he got to Copenhagen or what he was doing there.
“When Ochigava presented himself for entry at the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) checkpoint at LAX, CBP officers discovered that Ochigava was not a listed passenger on the flight manifest for SK 931, or any other incoming international flight.
“Ochigava was unable to produce a passport or a visa to enter the United States,” she continued.
The case also raises questions about how he passed through Danish security systems requiring passengers to check in for a flight and then pass through security gates and ticket inspections.
The company, Scandanavian Airlines, told the Post that they had “already altered some procedures at gate after the incident took place.”
Most visitors to the U.S. are also usually required to obtain Electronic System for Travel Authorization, which they must present at check-in to prove they have the necessary authorization to enter the country.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and will appear in court on Dec. 26. If found guilty, he faces a possible fine and up to five years in prison.
