Nigerian Pilot Faces Five-Year Jail Term In Texas For Making False Statements To Obtain Medical Certificate
The case was investigated by the Transportation Security Administration–Investigations.
AUS federal jury has found 36-year-old Olukayode Aduragbenro Ojo, a Nigerian pilot based in Dallas, TX, guilty of two counts of making false statements to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in order to obtain a medical certificate required for piloting commercial passenger aircraft.
The US Attorney Robert J. Troester who announced Ojo’s conviction in a statement issued on the US government official website said Ojo was convicted on the two counts on August 16, 2024.
On June 4, 2024, a federal grand jury issued a Superseding Indictment charging Ojo with two counts of making false statements, according to Transportation Security Administration, an official website of the US government.
During the trial, evidence revealed that Ojo, an FAA-certified commercial pilot, had previously pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor theft charges on February 8, 2023, in Kentucky state court for stealing passenger luggage at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
Ojo subsequently provided false information to the FAA in March 2023 and March 2024 while applying for an FAA First Class Medical Certificate, attempting to hide his criminal record.
The certificate is said to be necessary for flying commercial passenger aircraft.
Following Ojo’s conviction, US District Judge Jodi W. Dishman ordered Ojo to be held in custody until sentencing.
The Nigerian-American pilot faces up to five years in federal prison and fines up to $250,000 per count.
The case was investigated by the Transportation Security Administration–Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jackson Eldridge and Matt Dillon are handling the prosecution.
