HOUSTON – A Houston man accused of sneaking onto a United Airlines flight at Bush Intercontinental Airport using a fake boarding pass is now out of jail on bond, as his attorney claims he believed he had purchased a legitimate airline ticket online.
Abdulrahman Oriyomi, 25, was released on a $15,000 bond after being charged with felony impairing or interrupting the operation of a critical infrastructure facility following an incident at Bush Airport on May 18.
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According to Oriyomi’s attorney, Omotayo “O.J.” Lawal, his client did not knowingly use a fake boarding pass.
“He did obtain this fake boarding pass online thinking that he’s buying a cheap ticket,” Lawal said. “All of us can see the problem with using the internet to obtain a ticket when it’s not coming from the airline itself, and that is what the case is all about.”
When asked additional questions about the allegations and evidence in the case, Omotayo declined further comment.
“I will not answer any other question. I presented to you all the information you can use,” he said.
Court records paint a different picture of the events leading up to Oriyomi’s arrest.
Investigators allege Oriyomi arrived at Bush Airport early on the morning of May 18 and made his way through a TSA security checkpoint using what authorities later determined was a possibly forged boarding pass. Surveillance video and court documents indicate he spent hours moving between terminals and multiple departure gates after unsuccessfully attempting to board other flights.
According to investigators, Oriyomi first attempted to board a United Airlines flight to Los Angeles from gate E16 around 7:10 a.m. Records show he tried twice to scan a boarding pass but was unsuccessful and was ultimately turned away by gate agents.
Authorities say he later went to gate D4, where he allegedly waited near boarding operations before joining the line for United Flight 469, another flight bound for Los Angeles. Investigators claim Oriyomi intentionally waited until gate agents were distracted by other passengers before walking past them and down the jetway without a valid boarding pass being scanned.
Once onboard, investigators say Oriyomi sat in a seat assigned to another passenger before moving around the aircraft and spending time in multiple lavatories. Flight attendants became suspicious when they could not match him to any passenger on the flight manifest.
According to court records, Oriyomi identified himself as “Mr. Lopez” when questioned by crew members and later asked if he could sit in a jump seat after flight attendants determined there were no open seats available.
The plane, which was preparing for departure, was forced to return to the gate after crew members realized there was an unauthorized passenger onboard. The incident triggered a significant law enforcement response involving the Houston Police Department, the FBI, TSA, Houston Airport System officials, and an explosive detection K-9 unit.
All passengers were required to deplane while authorities searched the aircraft. Investigators said the disruption delayed the flight’s departure by approximately three hours.
During the investigation, United Airlines employees determined Oriyomi had at one point made a reservation, but it had been canceled because payment was never received. Authorities later concluded the boarding pass on his phone appeared fraudulent because it lacked required information and contained a QR code investigators believed had been forged.
The case has also raised questions about airport security procedures after records showed Oriyomi was able to pass through TSA screening before eventually boarding the aircraft.
Neither TSA nor airport officials have publicly explained how the suspect was able to clear security and gain access to the secure side of the airport using a boarding pass investigators later determined may have been fake.
Oriyomi does not appear to have a prior criminal history in Harris County, according to court records. His case remains pending.