Olukayode Ojo, a 36-year-old Nigerian, is facing a potential five-year prison sentence in Texas after being convicted of falsifying statements to obtain a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certificate.
On Wednesday, it was reported that US District Judge Jodi Dishman has ordered Ojo’s detention until his sentencing.
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According to US Attorney Robert Troester, Ojo was convicted on August 16, 2024, for attempting to secure a medical certificate required for piloting commercial aircraft.
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Troester’s announcement on Monday, through the FAA’s official website, indicated that the case resulted from an investigation by the Transportation Security Administration—Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jackson Eldridge and Matt Dillon.
He said, “On June 4, 2024, a federal jury returned a two-count superseding indictment against Ojo, charging him with two counts of making a false statement. On August 16, 2024, a federal jury found Ojo guilty on both counts.
“Evidence presented at trial indicated that Ojo, an FAA-certified commercial airline pilot, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanour theft charges on February 8, 2023, in Kentucky state court in connection with a theft of passenger luggage from the baggage carousels at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
“Ojo then made false statements to the FAA in March 2023 and March 2024 while applying for an FAA First Class Medical Certificate to conceal his history of prior criminal convictions. A First Class Medical Certificate permits an airman to pilot commercial passenger aircraft.”
The convict faces a maximum of five years in federal prison and fines of up to $250,000 per count.
