Toronto man charged with wire fraud after allegedly posing as pilot for free flights

Authorities in Hawaii have charged Dallas Pokornik, 33, with wire fraud after alleging he posed as a pilot to obtain hundreds of free flights from three major US carriers over four years. The case has prompted comparisons to the film Catch Me If You Can. Court documents say Pokornik was a flight attendant for a Toronto-based airline from 2017 to 2019, then used an employee identification from that carrier to obtain tickets "which he in fact knew to be fraudulent at the time it was so presented." Airlines commonly offer standby tickets to their own staff and employees of rival carriers to move crew between locations.

On one occasion he is alleged to have requested a cockpit jumpseat, normally reserved for off-duty pilots, despite not holding an airman’s certificate; federal rules prohibit cockpit jumpseats for leisure travel. The only Toronto-based carrier, Porter, told reporters it was "unable to verify any information related to this story." A flight attendant at a major Canadian airline told the outlet that employees typically use a card linked to a database with their photo and must show government ID and an employee badge, though rules are looser for leisure travel.

Pokornik was indicted on 2 October, later arrested in Panama and extradited to the United States. The Department of Justice said the Department of Homeland Security is investigating the case along with the US Marshals Service. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to US$250,000.

Key Topics

World, Dallas Pokornik, Toronto, Wire Fraud, Porter, Cockpit Jumpseat