A Toronto man has been charged with fraudulently obtaining free flights by impersonating an airline pilot and flight attendant.
Traveling and exploring new places can be quite costly, which may have led Dallas Pokornik to allegedly find a way to enjoy global adventures without spending a dime.
However, his actions are against the law, and the 33-year-old is now facing legal action for his alleged misconduct.
Officials claim that Pokornik, who previously worked as a flight attendant, disguised himself as a commercial pilot and utilized his past position to secure hundreds of complimentary flights from three US airlines.
According to court documents, Pokornik served as a flight attendant for an unnamed Toronto-based airline between 2017 and 2019. He allegedly used counterfeit identification from the airline to access free tickets typically reserved for airline staff.
“During the fraudulent scheme, Pokornik requested a jump seat in the cockpit of the aircraft, even though Pokornik was not a pilot and did not have an airman’s certificate,” the US attorney office reported.
It is still uncertain if Pokornik ever occupied the cockpit during his unauthorized travels.
The ex-flight attendant was apprehended in Panama last October on charges of wire fraud. He entered a not guilty plea on Tuesday (January 20) after being extradited.
Should Pokornik be found guilty, he might face up to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000, along with possible supervised release.
The indictment does not name the specific airlines but indicates they are located in Honolulu, Chicago, and Fort Worth, Texas.
Pokornik’s alleged scheme is said to have continued for four years.
This story bears resemblance to the plot of the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can, closely paralleling the tale of Tiron Alexander, who impersonated airline crew for six years between 2018 and 2024.
Alexander managed to fly for free over 120 times by exploiting internal ticketing systems designed for airline staff. He was convicted of wire fraud and accessing a secure area of an airport under false pretenses in June of last year.