U.S. convicts Russian man who attempted to enter country illegally
In the U.S., they sentenced a Russian man who attempted to enter the country illegally (photo: GettyImages)
In November of last year, a Russian citizen boarded a flight from Denmark to Los Angeles without a ticket or visa. He faces a potential prison sentence of up to five years, according to BBC News.
Prosecutors have stated that Russian man Sergey Ochigava passed through security at Copenhagen Airport in Denmark in November without a boarding pass, bypassing the turnstile.
The next day, he passed through a boarding gate undetected and boarded a Scandinavian Airlines flight to Los Angeles.
According to Ochigava's indictment documents, members of the cabin crew noticed him on the plane because he was moving between multiple unassigned seats.
Ochigava was met by U.S. border agents when the flight landed in LA on 4 November. The agents were unable to find any official record of him on the Scandinavian Airlines flight or any other flight.
Upon arrival in the U.S., the man could not provide a visa, an international passport, or other necessary documents for entry. During a search of his bag, officials found Russian and Israeli passports belonging to him.
He told border officials that he had forgotten his international passport on the plane, but this turned out to be untrue. Authorities accused him of providing false information.
Ochigava stated that he was unsure whether he had a ticket for the flight. He also claimed not to remember how he boarded the flight as he had not slept for three days.
The official verdict for Ochigava is scheduled for February 5.
Arrest of Russians in the U.S.
As previously reported, the U.S. Department of Justice has arrested a Russian man who attempted to assist a foreign terrorist organization.
Additionally, we reported that a Russian man has been arrested in the U.S. for participating in a criminal group involved in fraud, smuggling, and money laundering.
