Toronto Man Fakes Pilot Credentials for Decades, Scams Airlines for Free Flights
A Canadian man has been accused of impersonating a pilot for over four years to score hundreds of free flights. Dallas Pokornik, 33, is facing charges of wire fraud after allegedly deceiving three major airlines into giving him tickets by presenting fake employee identification.
According to court documents, Pokornik had worked as a flight attendant for a Toronto-based airline between 2017 and 2019. However, he then used his old employee ID to obtain free flights, which authorities say he knew were fraudulent at the time he presented them.
Pokornik's scheme is reminiscent of the Hollywood thriller Catch Me If You Can, in which a con man poses as a pilot to scam airlines for free flights. In Pokornik's case, he even attempted to sit in an aircraft's cockpit without proper authorization, which is strictly prohibited under federal rules.
The Toronto-based airline Porter could not verify any information related to this story, but it's unclear how Pokornik managed to convincingly pose as a flight attendant after leaving the industry. Typically, employees would need to show a government-issued ID and an employee badge to fly for leisure, but there are looser rules in place when the person is identified as an airline staff member.
Pokornik was indicted on October 2nd and later arrested in Panama before being extradited to the United States. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
A Canadian man has been accused of impersonating a pilot for over four years to score hundreds of free flights. Dallas Pokornik, 33, is facing charges of wire fraud after allegedly deceiving three major airlines into giving him tickets by presenting fake employee identification.
According to court documents, Pokornik had worked as a flight attendant for a Toronto-based airline between 2017 and 2019. However, he then used his old employee ID to obtain free flights, which authorities say he knew were fraudulent at the time he presented them.
Pokornik's scheme is reminiscent of the Hollywood thriller Catch Me If You Can, in which a con man poses as a pilot to scam airlines for free flights. In Pokornik's case, he even attempted to sit in an aircraft's cockpit without proper authorization, which is strictly prohibited under federal rules.
The Toronto-based airline Porter could not verify any information related to this story, but it's unclear how Pokornik managed to convincingly pose as a flight attendant after leaving the industry. Typically, employees would need to show a government-issued ID and an employee badge to fly for leisure, but there are looser rules in place when the person is identified as an airline staff member.
Pokornik was indicted on October 2nd and later arrested in Panama before being extradited to the United States. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
I mean can you even believe this guy?! He's been flyin' under the radar for years and scammed his way onto countless planes 
. I'm all for gettin' free travel, but not when it means breakin' the law, right? And what's crazy is that he was able to fool these airlines for so long, like he must've had some serious convincing skills on him 
. I guess you could say his scheme was a real "Catch Me If You Can" moment... but in this case, the authorities did catch up with him 
. And poor Porter Airlines, they're left wonderin' how it all went down 
. Anyway, 20 years in prison doesn't seem like too harsh of a punishment to me... I guess you could say he's gettin' off easy 
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, can you even believe this guy 
. And trying to sit in the cockpit without proper authorization? Come on, that's just a recipe for disaster 
! I mean, who does that? 
his story sounds wild though, like he was living the high life without any consequences . but I mean, fake ID's don't last forever right? 
anyway, 20 yrs in prison seems like a pretty steep price to pay, but i guess you gotta respect the law and all that... 
What's next, pretending to be a doctor or something? 
I mean, I'm all for a good scam, but this guy took it way too far. And poor Porter airline, they were totally duped... I feel bad for them. 
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. It's crazy that he even thought it was okay to sit in the cockpit without proper clearance 
. I mean, I've flown a lot of times, but I know how strict security is on planes. What would have stopped him from getting caught earlier? Like, when did airline staff just start accepting fake IDs? And what's with the 'remembering' his employee ID from years ago? That doesn't add up 
️ Can you believe someone would fake pilot credentials for FREE FLIGHTS?! 
I mean, who wouldn't want to fly for free, right? 
But, like, come on! 
That's some crazy stuff! 
And now he's facing serious charges and a big fine 
20 years in prison is NO JOKE 
But, honestly, it's just not worth it 
this guy's story is wild 
He must've been really convincing or just plain stupid 
Now he's got a big ol' bill to pay and a prison sentence to consider 
20 years is a long time, hope he sees the error of his ways soon 
it was so awkward. anyway, back to pokornik... i feel bad for him, sounds like he got in deep & didn't know how out 
. It's crazy how he was able to fool the airlines for so long - maybe they were just too nice or something 
. He should get a lifetime ban from flying and be forced to pay back all those free flights 
. And what's with the attempt to sit in the cockpit? Like, doesn't he know that's just basic pilot safety rules 
. Airlines need to be more careful about verifying IDs and stuff. It's just common sense, right? 
idk what kind of fantasy world he lived in but newsflash dude: fake IDs dont cut it 
And now he's facin charges and could do up 20 yrs in prison?