A Canadian man who posed as a pilot to secure hundreds of free flights on US airlines has admitted to the elaborate travel scam, bringing the years-long deception to an embarrassing end.
Dallas Pokornik, 34, falsely claimed to be an airline pilot between January 2020 and October 2024, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii said.
Prosecutors said Pokornik, who is from Canada, used a counterfeit airline employee identification card to board free flights with three separate American carriers.
He pleaded guilty last Thursday, acknowledging the scheme that federal authorities had outlined after he was indicted in January.
According to the indictment viewed by Our News Outlet, Pokornik repeatedly presented the fake ID, “which he in fact knew to be fraudulent at the time it was so presented,” in order to obtain airline tickets without paying.
The fraud went further: Pokornik even “requested a jump seat in the cockpit,” despite the fact that he was not a pilot and did not hold an airman’s certificate.
The indictment states that Pokornik had worked as a flight attendant for a commercial airline based in Toronto from July 2017 to October 2019. But prosecutors said he was never employed as a pilot.
His bogus badge claimed he was still working for that unnamed Toronto-based airline, according to the federal indictment.
Dallas Pokornik, 34, admitted last Thursday that he tricked his way into hundreds of free flights by pretending to be a pilot or flight attendant
The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii previously said Pokornik had allegedly ‘requested a jump seat in the cockpit of the aircraft,’ even though he was not a pilot
The three American airlines that Pokornik scammed were headquartered in Honolulu, Chicago and Fort Worth, Texas, the indictment said.
Since-deleted posts on a public social media profile previously showed Pokornik in Thailand, England and California.
In one video, he was seen posing with a drink inside what appeared to be a private aircraft.
‘Many of my friends are married. Many of my friends are having kids,’ he wrote in another post. ‘I’m over here trying to avoid checking my bag and hoping for a window seat.’
A separate publication tagged ‘Team no sleep’ showed Pokornik flying from London to Manhattan.
He bobbed his head and smiled widely while showing off the view outside his plane window.
Pokornik had been charged with wire fraud linked to two tickets issued on the Hawaii-based airline around August and October 2024.
After pleading guilty, Pokornik faces up to 20 years in prison, as well as a fine of up to $250,000. He also faces a supervised release of up to three years after serving his sentence.
A federal indictment said Pokornik had scammed airlines headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, Chicago, Illinois, and Fort Worth, Texas
Pokornik was charged with wire fraud in connection to two tickets issued on a Honolulu-based airline in August and October 2024, according to the indictment (Photo of Honolulu)
He was arrested by Panamanian authorities after a federal warrant was issued and then extradited to the US (Photo of Panama City, Panama)
Pokornik’s plea deal, viewed by Our News Outlet, noted that an employee from the Hawaiian airline had taken a picture of his forged badge, though it did not provide further details.
Its lack of authenticity was subsequently confirmed by Pokornik’s former employer, as the badge listed an expiration date in 2027 ‘among other things,’ the agreement said.
As part of his deal, Pokornik will pay ‘restitution for all losses caused by [his] conduct.’
The airlines that Pokornik tricked have never been named as part of the indictment or the plea agreement.
Pokornik is currently scheduled to be sentenced on December 8 by US District Judge Shanlyn A S Park.
“Travel security protocols help keep our citizens and visitors safe, and anyone who breaches those protocols should expect to be brought to justice,” US Attorney Ken Sorenson said.
The government will recommend that Pokornik gets about 30 days credit for his detention in Panama, as he was taken into custody by the Panamanian government based upon a federal warrant before being extradited to the US.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Melinda Yamaga, Pokornik’s attorney, and the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii for comment.
