Ex-flight attendant got hundreds of free flights posing as pilot and current flight attendant, Justice Department says

Honolulu — A former flight attendant for a Canadian airline has been accused of posing as a commercial pilot and a current flight attendant to fraudulently obtain hundreds of free flights from U.S. airlines, according to authorities.

The individual, identified as Dallas Pokornik, 33, from Toronto, was apprehended in Panama after being indicted on wire fraud charges in federal court in Hawaii in October. He pleaded not guilty following his extradition.

If convicted, Pokornik could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release, as stated by the Justice Department.

Court documents revealed that Pokornik worked as a flight attendant for a Toronto-based airline from 2017 to 2019. He allegedly used counterfeit employee identification from that airline to access tickets reserved for pilots and flight attendants from three other airlines.

Prosecutors in the U.S. disclosed that Pokornik even made requests to occupy an extra seat in the cockpit known as the “jump seat,” typically designated for off-duty pilots. It remains unclear whether he actually sat in the cockpit during any flights, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to provide further details.

Although the indictment did not disclose the names of the airlines involved, it mentioned that they are headquartered in Honolulu, Chicago, and Fort Worth, Texas. Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines, and Air Canada, respectively based in those cities, did not respond to requests for comments.

The fraudulent scheme reportedly spanned four years, according to the U.S. prosecutors in Hawaii.

Following a hearing on Tuesday, a U.S. magistrate judge ordered Pokornik to remain in custody. His federal defender declined to make any statements.

In a separate incident in 2023, an off-duty airline pilot aboard a Horizon Air flight made concerning statements before attempting to tamper with the engines mid-flight, citing struggles with depression. The pilot, Joseph Emerson, was sentenced to time served by a federal judge in November.

The allegations against Pokornik draw similarities to the movie “Catch Me If You Can,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, which portrays the story of Frank Abagnale impersonating a pilot to deceive an airline and secure free flights.