A 33-year-old Canadian man from Toronto, previously employed as a flight attendant for a Canadian airline, is accused of falsely representing himself as a commercial pilot as well as an active flight attendant to obtain unauthorized free flights on various U.S. airlines. Authorities disclosed that Dallas Pokornik was apprehended in Panama following a federal indictment filed last October in Hawaii, charging him with wire fraud. He entered a plea of not guilty upon his extradition.
According to court filings, Pokornik was a flight attendant with a Toronto-based airline between 2017 and 2019. Subsequent to his tenure, he allegedly utilized counterfeit employee identification issued by that airline to acquire tickets that are ordinarily reserved specifically for pilots and flight attendants on three additional U.S. carriers. These airlines are noted as being headquartered in Honolulu, Chicago, and Fort Worth, Texas; representative offices for Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines, and American Airlines, respectively, did not provide comments when approached.
Further details include claims that Pokornik requested access to occupy a "jump seat," the additional cockpit seat typically allocated to off-duty pilots. The formal indictment did not clarify whether he ever physically occupied a cockpit during flights, and inquiries into this aspect were declined by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The fraudulent scheme reportedly spanned four years, according to prosecutors based in Hawaii. Following his indictment, a U.S. magistrate ordered that Pokornik remain in federal custody. Legal representatives for Pokornik refrained from commenting on the matter.
This case draws parallels to previous incidents involving impersonation of airline personnel, including a 2023 event where an off-duty pilot aboard a flight attempted to manipulate aircraft controls amid reported mental health struggles, culminating in a federal sentencing based on time served. The current allegations evoke similarities to well-known narratives such as the story portrayed in the film "Catch Me If You Can," which featured an individual assuming a pilot's identity to fraudulently gain benefits, including complimentary flights.