Russian Man Convicted in the US for Unauthorized Flight to Los Angeles

Sergey Ochigava, a Russian man, has been found guilty in a US federal court for sneaking onto a flight from Denmark to Los Angeles last November without a ticket, passport, or visa. He was convicted by a California jury and has been held in custody since November. Ochigava faces a potential sentence of up to five years in prison. Prosecutors stated that Ochigava managed to bypass security at Copenhagen Airport by following another passenger through a turnstile gate. The following day, he went unnoticed and boarded a Scandinavian Airlines flight to Los Angeles. Cabin crew members noticed his suspicious behavior, such as moving between unassigned seats and attempting to eat crew members' chocolate. Upon arrival in LA, US border agents discovered no official record of Ochigava on the flight or any other flight. They also found Russian and Israeli ID cards in his bag. Accused of providing misleading information, Ochigava claimed to have forgotten his passport and had no memory of how he ended up on the flight, citing three sleepless days. The formal sentencing for Ochigava is scheduled for February 5th.