A former flight attendant has been accused of impersonating a commercial pilot to gain hundreds of free flights, as reported by the Justice Department. Dallas Pokornik, 33, hailing from Toronto, was arrested in Panama after being charged with wire fraud in federal court in Hawaii in October of the previous year. Following his extradition, Pokornik pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Charges and Potential Penalties
If found guilty, Pokornik faces severe penalties, including:
- Up to 20 years in prison
- A fine reaching $250,000
- A period of supervised release
Details of the Impersonation Scheme
According to court documents, Pokornik worked as a flight attendant for a Canadian airline between 2017 and 2019. During that time, he allegedly fabricated employee identification to secure tickets meant for pilots and crew members on various U.S. airlines.
Key highlights of the alleged scheme include:
- Obtaining tickets for airlines based in Honolulu, Chicago, and Fort Worth, Texas.
- Requesting to occupy the “jump seat” in the cockpit, typically reserved for off-duty pilots.
- Running the fraudulent operation for approximately four years.
Legal Proceedings and Comparisons
A U.S. magistrate judge has ordered Pokornik to remain in custody as legal proceedings continue. His defense attorney has not provided comments on the case.
This situation has drawn comparisons to the story depicted in “Catch Me If You Can,” where a character poses as a pilot to defraud airlines, underscoring the seriousness of such impersonation crimes.
Airline Responses and Future Steps
The airlines involved, which include Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines, and American Airlines, are based in the aforementioned cities but have not yet commented publicly on the allegations. Air Canada also declined to provide a statement.
The outcome of this case may influence future security measures in the aviation industry.
