Man who arrived on LAX flight without ticket charged with federal crime

An apparent stowaway who somehow flew from Denmark to LAX without a passport, visa or a plane ticket in November now faces federal charges. 

Sergey Ochigava, who arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on Nov. 4 via a Scandinavian Airlines flight from Copenhagen, was not officially listed as a passenger on the flight manifest. As a result, he was detained by immigration officers at the airport, who questioned him. 

They say that he gave "false and misleading" information on his travel process to the United States, according to a criminal complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court. 

According to investigators, Ochigava told customs officers that he left his passport on the plane, which they quickly learned was not the case. 

Ochigava was charged on Nov. 16 with one single count of stowing away on an aircraft, to which he pleaded not guilty. He is scheduled for arraignment on Dec. 5 with a tentative jury trial date set for Dec. 26. 

The complaint describes Ochigava as an economist, who was able to evade security in Copenhagen and board the flight. A search of his personal belongings revealed a Russian identification card and an Israeli identification card, according to an affidavit that was also filed with the complaint. 

"Ochigava claimed he had not been sleeping for three days and did not understand what was going on," the affidavit said. "Ochigava stated he might have had a plane ticket to come to the United States, but he was not sure ... When asked how he got through security in Copenhagen, Ochigava claimed he did not remember how he went through security without a ticket."

He also did not offer an explanation as to how he got to Copenhagen in the first place or what he was doing there. 

In the affidavit, flight attendants are quoted explaining that Ochigava bounced around from seat to seat during the flight, asking for multiple meals each time they served them.