Key facts
- Abdulrahman Oluwatumike Oriyomi, 25, charged with felony for using a fraudulent boarding pass.
- Incident occurred at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
- Oriyomi boarded a United Airlines flight to Los Angeles.
- Flight delayed three hours; multiple agencies responded.
- Prosecutors sought $25,000 bond.
A 25-year-old man, Abdulrahman Oluwatumike Oriyomi, is facing a felony charge after allegedly using a fraudulent boarding pass to board a United Airlines flight at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The incident, which occurred on May 18, caused the aircraft to return to the gate, delaying the flight for approximately three hours and prompting responses from the Houston Police Department, the FBI, Houston Airports, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Prosecutors sought a $25,000 bond, citing the significant delay and multi-agency response. According to court documents, Oriyomi passed through TSA security and then attempted to board the flight to Los Angeles. He allegedly scanned a boarding pass unsuccessfully at one gate before approaching another, where he proceeded down the jetway while airline employees were distracted. A witness stated Oriyomi initially sat next to her before moving to an already assigned seat. Flight attendants discovered Oriyomi did not have an assigned seat and, upon checking the manifest, found no authorized passenger listed under his name. Investigators reviewed an image of a boarding pass from Oriyomi's phone, which appeared fraudulent due to missing key information and a QR code. The case is pending in Harris County's 180th District Court.