A man has been arrested after authorities say he used a fake boarding pass to sneak onto a United Airlines flight at a major Houston airport.
Abdulrahman Oriyomi, 25, was charged on Friday, June 5, with felony impairing or interrupting the operation of a critical infrastructure facility after the bizarre incident at George Bush Intercontinental Airport last month.
According to court records cited by local outlets, Oriyomi allegedly made his way through Terminal C security while “constantly staring at his phone” and delaying his interaction with a TSA agent.
When he finally spoke to the agent, he reportedly had trouble with his boarding pass and was escorted to another TSA booth to have his picture taken.
Despite that, he was allowed through security and was able to walk around the airport.
Authorities say Oriyomi later tried to board a United Airlines flight to Los Angeles at gate E16 around 7:10 a.m., but his alleged fake boarding pass failed to scan. He was turned away after getting into an apparent disagreement with a United employee.
But prosecutors say he did not leave.
Instead, Oriyomi allegedly spent about an hour “awkwardly” pacing around the gate area before getting into another boarding line for a different United flight also headed to Los Angeles.
This time, authorities say he managed to walk past gate agents and down the jetway while employees were distracted by other passengers.
Former Secret Service agent Michael Matranga called the incident a serious security breakdown.
“I think this is a pretty significant breach, not just because of the fact that he ended up on the plane; it’s the multiple layers and failures to even get on the plane,” Matranga told KTRK.
He said the agents involved appeared to miss “diversionary tactics” and were not fully aware of what was happening around them.
“At a very minimum, those agents who were directly involved and probably that whole cadre of agents at the airport need to be retrained on policy and consistency in policy,” Matranga added.
Once Oriyomi was onboard United Flight 469, a woman seated on the plane told investigators that he “seemed unsure if the seat he was in was his” when he sat down in the aisle seat next to her.
When he got up to use the restroom, another passenger took the seat.
The flight was full, and Oriyomi’s own reservation had reportedly been canceled earlier because of lack of payment.
Authorities say he then hid in another bathroom at the back of the plane after a flight attendant knocked and told him to return to his seat.
The situation became even more suspicious when Oriyomi allegedly asked if he could sit in the jump seats and identified himself as “Mr. Lopez.”
Flight attendants checked the passenger list and realized there was no passenger by that name.
Houston police were called, and everyone onboard had to get off the plane. The aircraft was then searched for explosives.
Oriyomi was questioned that day and given a trespass warning, but charges were not filed until June 1, according to KTRK. He was arrested Friday morning after an investigation.
A TSA spokesperson said the agency confirmed that on May 18, 2026, the individual presented a valid boarding pass at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
“The individual did go through standard screening and did not possess any prohibited items,” the spokesperson said.
United Airlines declined to comment on the incident.
The Houston Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.
Gee, I feel really safe to fly United! (I’m being facetious, by the way!).