A 36-year-old Nigerian pilot, Olukayode Ojo, is reportedly facing a potential five-year jail term in Texas, United States, after being found guilty of making false statements to obtain a certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The guilty verdict, delivered on August 16, 2024, has led to Olukayode Ojo being detained pending sentencing, as ordered by US District Judge Jodi Dishman.
U.S. Attorney Robert Troester announced Ojo’s conviction on Monday in a statement released on the FAA’s official website. Troester explained that Ojo was convicted on August 16, 2024, for attempting to obtain a medical certificate required for piloting a commercial passenger aircraft.
The case was part of an investigation conducted by the Transportation Security Administration—Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jackson Eldridge and Matt Dillon.
“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,” Troester disclosed.
The federal jury, after reviewing the evidence, found Ojo guilty of both counts of making false statements.
It was learnt that the convict faces a potential sentence of up to five years in federal prison, along with fines of up to $250,000 for each count.
