A Houston man has been charged after allegedly boarding a United flight with a fake passport
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A Houston man is facing a felony charge after authorities say he used a fake boarding pass to board a United Airlines flight at George Bush Intercontinental Airport before the plane was forced to return to the gate, according to court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital.
Abdulrahman Oluwatumike Oriyomi, 25, was charged with tampering with or obstructing the operation of a critical infrastructure facility in connection with the May 18 incident, according to a criminal complaint filed in Harris County.
Prosecutors later sought a $25,000 bond, saying the alleged incident delayed the plane carrying passengers for nearly three hours and prompted responses from multiple agencies, including the Houston Police Department, the FBI, the Houston Airports and the Transportation Security Administration.
“The defendant delayed the flight for 3 hours with a full flight,” prosecutors wrote in the decision reviewed by Fox News Digital.
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Travelers arrive at a TSA checkpoint at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on Thursday, March 26, 2026. (Lekan Oyekanmi/AP Photo)
According to the complaint, Oriyomi entered Bush Airport and passed through a TSA checkpoint before attempting to board a flight to Los Angeles.
Investigators suspect that Oriyomi first tried to scan the boarding area at one gate but failed. He then made his way through the airport before approaching another gate where United employees were checking passengers’ boarding passes.
The complaint states that Oriyomi waited until the flight crew was distracted before disembarking and boarding United Flight 469.
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United Airlines presents its boarding passes to a gate agent as it boards its flight at Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
The passenger told investigators that Oriyomi first sat next to him before wandering off the plane. The witness later realized that the seat had already been assigned to another passenger, according to the complaint.
The plane had already started to take off from the gate when the flight attendants were told that there was someone inside the cabin.
The flight attendants finally contacted Oriyomi and determined that he did not have an assigned seat on the flight. The flight attendant later checked the passenger manifest and allegedly found that there was no authorized passenger listed under the name Oriyomi provided.
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The plane returned to the gate, prompting law enforcement and security to respond.
Investigators later reviewed a photo of the boarding pass found on Oriyomi’s phone and determined it appeared to be a fake because key information and a QR code were missing, the complaint said. A Bush airport representative concluded that the document was a forgery, according to the filing.
Investigators determined that Oriyomi would not have received a valid boarding pass unless he first paid for his reservation, according to court records reviewed by Fox News Digital.
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A United Airlines plane appears to be flying. Court documents allege a Houston man boarded a United flight at George Bush Intercontinental Airport using a fake boarding pass. (Stock)
Prosecutors also asked for several bond conditions, according to court records reviewed by Fox News Digital, including surrendering any passports or travel documents, avoiding Bush Intercontinental Airport and other airports, not possessing firearms and submitting to electronic monitoring if ordered by the court.
It is not clear whether all of the requested bond conditions have been met.
Court records reviewed by Fox News Digital did not immediately identify an attorney representing Oriyomi.
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United Airlines, Houston Airports and the Transportation Security Administration did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
The case is pending in the 180th District Court of Harris County.
