A Toronto man has been charged with wire fraud after allegedly impersonating a commercial pilot for four years to obtain free flights on three different airlines. Dallas Pokornik, 33, a former flight attendant, reportedly used a fake employee ID to request jump seat access in the cockpit during the flights.
Pokornik was arrested in Panama in January on charges of wire fraud and pleaded not guilty following his extradition. Court documents reveal that he used fake employee identification from a Toronto-based airline, where he previously worked as a flight attendant, to secure tickets reserved for pilots and flight attendants on other airlines.
The accused falsely claimed to still be an employee of the Toronto-based airline, leading to the wire fraud indictment. Air Canada, Porter Airlines, Sunwing, and WestJet were contacted for comments, with Air Canada stating they have no record of Pokornik working for them. Porter Airlines could not verify the information, and Sunwing and WestJet are yet to respond.
If convicted, Pokornik faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 US, and supervised release. The three airlines he flew with for free are based in Honolulu, Chicago, and Fort Worth, Texas. Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines, and American Airlines, based in those cities, have not responded to requests for comment on the matter.
In a separate incident, a Florida man was found guilty of posing as a flight attendant to obtain over 120 free flights by booking tickets reserved for pilots and flight attendants on various airline carriers’ websites. Tiron Alexander, 35, impersonated a flight attendant who worked for other airlines to secure the free flights.