Passenger allegedly boards flight with fake boarding pass, forcing plane back to gate

A Houston man is facing a felony charge after authorities say he used a fraudulent boarding pass to board a United Airlines flight at George Bush Intercontinental Airport before the aircraft was forced to return to the gate, according to court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital.

Abdulrahman Oluwatumike Oriyomi, 25, has been charged with impairing or interrupting the operation of a critical infrastructure facility in connection with the May 18 incident, according to a criminal complaint filed in Harris County.

Prosecutors later sought a $25,000 bond, arguing that the alleged incident delayed a flight carrying a full plane of passengers for approximately three hours and prompted responses from multiple agencies, including the Houston Police Department, the FBI, Houston Airports and the Transportation Security Administration.

“The Defendant delayed a flight for 3 hours with a full plane,” prosecutors wrote in a motion reviewed by Fox News Digital.

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According to the complaint, Oriyomi entered Bush Airport and passed through a TSA checkpoint before attempting to board a flight bound for Los Angeles.

Investigators allege Oriyomi first attempted to scan a boarding pass at one gate but was unsuccessful. He then walked through the airport before approaching another gate where United employees were checking passengers’ boarding passes.

The complaint alleges Oriyomi waited until airline employees were distracted before proceeding down the jetway and boarding United Flight 469.

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A passenger told investigators Oriyomi initially sat next to her before moving around the aircraft. The witness later realized the seat had already been assigned to another passenger, according to the complaint.

The aircraft had already begun taxiing away from the gate when flight attendants were notified that someone was inside a restroom on board.

Flight attendants eventually made contact with Oriyomi and determined he did not have an assigned seat on the flight. A flight attendant later checked the passenger manifest and allegedly discovered no authorized passenger was listed under the name Oriyomi had provided.

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The plane returned to the gate, prompting a response from multiple law enforcement and security agencies.

Investigators later reviewed a boarding pass image recovered from Oriyomi’s phone and determined it appeared fraudulent because key information and a QR code were missing, the complaint states. A Bush Airport representative concluded the document was fake, according to the filing.

Investigators determined Oriyomi could not have obtained a valid boarding pass without first paying for his reservation, according to court records reviewed by Fox News Digital.

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Prosecutors also requested several bond conditions, according to court records reviewed by Fox News Digital, including surrendering any passports or travel documents, avoiding Bush Intercontinental Airport and other airports, refraining from possessing firearms and submitting to electronic monitoring if ordered by the court.

It was not immediately clear whether all requested bond conditions were ultimately imposed.

Court records reviewed by Fox News Digital did not immediately identify an attorney representing Oriyomi.

United Airlines, Houston Airports and the Transportation Security Administration did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

The case is pending in Harris County’s 180th District Court.