A Canadian man is facing serious fraud charges in the United States after authorities say he pretended to be an airline crew member to get hundreds of free flights over several years.
Prosecutors allege that Dallas Pokornik, 33, from Toronto, used a fake employee identification badge to book flights reserved for pilots and flight attendants — even though he was not working for any airline at the time.
According to court documents, Pokornik previously worked as a legitimate flight attendant for a Canadian airline between 2017 and 2019. After that job ended, authorities say he used fraudulent credentials from that airline to access travel benefits meant only for active crew members.
US prosecutors say the scheme ran from January 2020 through October 2024, though the current indictment specifically covers flights taken between January and October 2024.
During that time, Pokornik allegedly obtained hundreds of free or heavily discounted standby tickets on three major US airlines. The airlines are not named in the indictment but are described as being headquartered in:
- Honolulu
- Chicago
- Fort Worth, Texas
Airlines often allow crew members from other carriers to fly standby as a professional courtesy. These travel perks help airline staff get where they need to go for work, and sometimes for personal travel. But access depends on verifying that the person is an active employee.
Industry experts told the Associated Press they were surprised the system didn’t flag the credentials as invalid. Airlines typically rely on shared databases to confirm whether someone is still employed.
Court documents also allege that Pokornik asked to ride in a cockpit “jump seat” — a seat usually reserved for off-duty pilots or other authorized aviation personnel. Prosecutors say he was not a licensed pilot and did not hold an airman’s certificate.
It is unclear whether he was ever actually allowed to sit in the cockpit.
Cockpit access is tightly controlled, especially since additional aviation security measures were introduced after the September 11 attacks.
Pokornik was arrested in Panama and later extradited to the United States. He has been charged with wire fraud in federal court in Hawaii.
He has pleaded not guilty, and his legal team has not publicly commented on the case.
If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, according to the US Department of Justice.
The case has drawn comparisons to the movie Catch Me If You Can, which tells the story of a real-life con artist who famously impersonated a pilot decades ago. But aviation experts say modern airline systems are designed with multiple layers of verification, making the alleged scheme particularly surprising.
