A Russian man who flew on a plane from Denmark to Los Angeles in November without a passport or ticket is guilty of being a stowaway on an aircraft, a federal jury found Friday.

Sergey Vladimirovich Ochigava arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on Nov. 4 via Scandinavian Airlines flight 931 from Copenhagen. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer could not find Ochigava on the flight’s manifest or any other incoming international flights, according to a complaint filed Nov. 6 in Los Angeles federal court.

After a three-day trial, the court’s jury found Ochigava, 46, guilty of one count of being a stowaway on an aircraft. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison when he is sentenced Feb. 5, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement.

Prosecutors presented evidence at the trial that showed Ochigava entered a terminal at Copenhagen Airport in Denmark without a boarding pass by tailgating an unsuspecting passenger through a security turnstile. The next day, he boarded the plane undetected, prosecutors said.

  • partial_accumen
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    4910 months ago

    After a three-day trial, the court’s jury found Ochigava, 46, guilty of one count of being a stowaway on an aircraft. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison when he is sentenced Feb. 5, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement.

    A 46 year old Russian guy now secured in the safety of a western prison for 5 years, instead of part of a meat wave on the Ukrainian front, by which time however Russia falls apart will have happened? I know what he’s thinking now.

    “Task failed successfully!”

    • peopleproblems
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      410 months ago

      No kidding, not only does he not have to die in Ukraine, he gets housing and food too.

  • ForestOrca
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    fedilink
    3010 months ago

    5 Years, if only he had tried an insurrection at the same time, would have been given 4 weeks parole.

    • @[email protected]
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      fedilink
      1010 months ago

      I would assume that’s exactly what they’d do when he’s released after his sentence is served.

      • @Sylver
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        810 months ago

        Five years should be enough time for a bullet to find Putin. If not, just start a couple fights and hope they let you stay longer

  • @[email protected]
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    fedilink
    110 months ago

    Isn’t extradition a concern? Imagine getting this far and just being served on a silver platter to Putin.

    • @Evilcoleslaw
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      210 months ago

      Extradition? Probably not. He’s almost certainly going to get deported after his sentence is served.