PORTLAND, Ore. — A US passenger who placed a fake bomb in a restroom during an international flight, then reported it to look like a hero has avoided a prison term.

Instead, US District Judge Michael Mosman sentenced Sean Davies to five years on probation and ordered him to pay restitution to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Prosecutors recommended the sentence because the 23-year-old from coastal Oregon has no prior arrests, has been receiving treatment for alcoholism, and has landed a steady job as a salesman at a jewelry store in a Portland suburb.

KLM Flight 569 was 3½ hours into a flight from Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, when Davies told a member of the cabin crew there was a wire coming out of a cabinet in the restroom, leading to an electrical socket.

The flight captain inspected the miniature wine bottle with some cables attached to it and figured it was a prank, but the plane was diverted to Cairo.

AssocIated Press