Nigerian pilot sentenced to five-years imprisonment for falsifying statements in US

U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester said that Olukayode Aduragbenro Ojo, a 36-year-old pilot from Dallas, Texas, was found guilty on two counts of lying to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in order to get a medical license that was needed to fly a commercial passenger aeroplane.

A federal jury returned a two-count Superseding Indictment against Ojo on June 4, 2024. It accused him of two counts of false statement.

An FBI jury found Ojo guilty of both charges on August 16, 2024.

Ojo, a commercial airline pilot certified by the FAA, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanour theft charges on February 8, 2023, in Kentucky state court. These charges were related to stealing passenger luggage from the baggage carousels at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

After that, Ojo lied to the FAA in March 2023 and March 2024 when he applied for an FAA First Class Medical Certificate to hide the fact that he had been convicted of crimes in the past. A First Class Medical Certificate lets an airman fly business passenger planes.

After finding Ojo guilty, U.S. District Judge Jodi W. Dishman told the police to hold him until he was sentenced. If found guilty, Ojo could face up to five years in federal jail and fines of up to $250,000.00 for each count.

This case came about because the Transportation Security Administration–Investigations looked into it. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jackson Eldridge and Matt Dillon.

To get more knowledge, references are made to public documents.