A Canadian man has been indicted for allegedly defrauding multiple airlines by posing as a commercial pilot to obtain hundreds of flights for free.
Dallas Pokornik,33, was arrested in Panama and extradited to the United States, the Department of Justice said. Court records allege that over a four-year period, Pokornik used fake credentials to access flights on three carriers. During the scheme, he requested jump seats in the cockpit, despite not holding an airman certificate or any pilot qualifications.
Pokornik previously worked as a flight attendant for a Canadian airline from 2017-2019. The Associated Press noted the indictment did not specify the airlines involved but said they were based in Honolulu, Chicago, and Fort Worth, Texas.
If convicted, Pokornik faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and supervised release. The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.
AVweb previously reported a similar case in June, when a Florida man was found guilty of impersonating pilots and flight attendants to fraudulently take over 120 flights over six years.
Old Joke:
Q: How can you tell if a jump seater is a real airline pilot?
A1: Ask to borrow his pen. If it’s a hotel pen, he’s legit.
A2: Ask him how much a USA Today costs. If he knows, he’s a phony.
Says a lot for the effectiveness of our TSA screening, huh?
What’s the charge going to be? Making fools out of the airport screeners?