Man accused of suspicious activity at Athens airport

Airports around the United States previously were warned about a Georgia man whose behavior in restricted areas was a security concern. This week, the man allegedly behaved the same way at Athens Ben Epps airport, according to police.

Ahmed Olasunkanmi Salau, 33, who lives in Athens, Ga., was booked into the Clarke County jail Tuesday night and charged with loitering, police said. Bond was set at $5,000 for the misdemeanor charge.

But Salau will remain in jail because federal investigators want to speak with him.

The Transportation Security Administration first took notice of Salau in October 2016 when he traveled on a commercial airline using a fraudulent name and photo identification. Salau made several attempts to get onto aircraft and allegedly pretended to be a pilot, the TSA said.

In July, the TSA issued another warning about Salau after he reportedly visited several airports and presented himself as a passenger or crew member in an attempt to gain unauthorized access to aircraft and facilities. Salau also allegedly tried to gather passenger and aircraft data, the TSA said.

In the latest incident, which happened Tuesday afternoon in Athens, Salau spoke with a pilot about learning to navigate a plane and flight patterns, according to a police report.

“Due to this action, the staff at the airport wanted him barred from the property for a period of two years,” the report states. “Salau was given verbal warning and written warning for the barring.”

Salau refused to sign the paperwork and was told several times to leave the airport, according to police.

“Due to Salua obviously having a long record of trespassing on government property, he was in a place for no legal reason other than to harass or gain information for some illegal cause, I will be seeking a warrant for loitering and prowling,” the police report states.

Salau was arrested Thursday in Gwinnett County and taken back to the Clarke County jail, where he remained Friday night.