In brief
Dallas Pokornik, a 33-year-old former flight attendant from Toronto, was arrested in Panama for pretending to be a pilot to obtain free flights. Charged with wire fraud, Pokornik allegedly used fake ID from his previous employer to get tickets from major U.S. airlines between 2019 and 2023. During a court hearing, he pleaded not guilty and is currently in custody while awaiting trial. His actions echo the plot of the film 'Catch Me If You Can'.
HONOLULU (AP) — A former flight attendant for a Canadian airline, Dallas Pokornik, faces serious charges after impersonating a commercial pilot to secure free flights from various U.S. airlines. Arrested in Panama and extradited to Hawaii, Pokornik, 33, denies the allegations. Documents claim he used a fake employee ID from a company he worked for between 2017 and 2019, fraudulently obtaining tickets reserved for airline staff on major carriers, including those based in Honolulu, Chicago, and Fort Worth. Notably, he even sought permission to ride in the cockpit's jump seat. With U.S. prosecutors outlining the bizarre fraud scheme, which lasted about four years, Pokornik was ordered to stay in custody pending further legal proceedings, as his federal defender has not commented on the case.
