A 36-year-old Nigerian pilot, Olukayode Ojo, now stands on the brink of a potential five-year prison sentence in Texas, after being convicted of deceiving the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in a desperate bid to secure his pilot’s certification.
U.S. District Judge Jodi Dishman ordered Ojo to remain in custody following the guilty verdict, delivered on August 16, 2024. The weight of his actions bears down on him as U.S. Attorney Robert Troester confirmed the conviction, uncovering a narrative on the FAA’s official website: Ojo had sought a medical certificate critical for flying commercial passenger aircraft, yet his path was marred by falsehoods.
On June 4, 2024, a federal jury delivered a two-count indictment against Ojo, charging him with making false statements, and just months later, they found him guilty on both counts. The investigation, driven by the Transportation Security Administration—Investigations, saw Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jackson Eldridge and Matt Dillon unveil the shocking truth behind Ojo’s façade.
The trial laid bare Ojo’s troubling history; an FAA-certified commercial pilot, he had previously pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor theft charges in February 2023 for stealing passenger luggage at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. In an attempt to cover his tracks, Ojo submitted false statements to the FAA during his applications for an FAA First Class Medical Certificate in March 2023 and March 2024, aiming to hide his checkered past.
With a formidable sentence looming—up to five years in federal prison for each count and possible fines reaching $250,000—Ojo’s future hangs in the balance, with his sentencing date yet to be announced.
