A 36-year-old Nigerian named Olukayode Ojo is set to serve five years in prison in Texas. He was convicted of lying to get a certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration.
- On Wednesday, it was reported that US District Judge Jodi Dishman had ordered him held until his sentencing.
US Lawyer Robert Troester declared Ojo’s conviction on Monday through an explanation on the FAA’s official site. On August 16, 2024, Ojo was attempting to get a clinical declaration, expecting to fly a business traveller plane, which resulted in his conviction.
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 potential five-year sentence in government jail, in addition to fines that could add up to $250,000 for every offense.
