Former fight attendant Dallas Pokornik, 33, spent four years using a fake ID card to fly round the world for free, court heard
A real life Catch Me If You Can conman allegedly tricked his way onto hundreds of flights for free by posing as a pilot, a court heard.
Former fight attendant Dallas Pokornik, 33, spent four years using a fake employee ID card and his insider knowledge to fly for free across three major airlines, prosecutors claimed.
He has so far been charged with two counts of wire fraud for allegedly cheating his way on to two Hawaiian Airlines flights in 2024.
Prosecutors alleged the Canadian tried to convince staff he had been given the jump seat in the cockpit of the aircraft – typically reserved for off-duty pilots, trainees or inspectors.
Pokornik, who worked as a steward for a Toronto-based airline for two years, faces up to 20 years in jail and a £186,000 fine if convicted.
He is accused of using a fake ID badge from his former airline and lying about his employment to obtain discounted or free travel.
His alleged exploits mirror the plot of Steven Spielberg’s 2002 film in which conman Frank Abagnale – played by Leonardo DiCaprio – poses as a Pan American World Airways pilot by using a forged ID and a fake uniform.
Photographs on Pokornik’s Facebook account showed him enjoying a jet-set lifestyle including trips to London, New York, a floating beach club in Thailand, Los Angeles and Mexico.
In one post he wrote: “Many of my friends are married. Many of my friends are having kids. I’m over here trying to avoid checking my bag and hoping for a window seat.”
A video uploaded in 2022 showed Pokornik, wearing a Hugo Boss-embossed polo shirt, stepping on to a private jet and reclining in a leather seat with a glass of wine.
Federal court records said his ‘false and fraudulent representations’ caused Hawaiian, United and American Airlines to issue the tickets ‘at no cost’.
He was arrested in Panama on January 19 and extradited to the US where he was indicted on October 2.
Pokornik, from Toronto, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In documents filed to the court in Hawaii US assistant Attorney Michael Nammar said: “The investigation has established that the defendant, over the course of four years, falsely claimed he was an airline pilot and presented a fictitious employee identification card to obtain hundreds of flights at no cost.”
Mr Nammar said there was a ‘serious risk’ Pokornik would flee if granted bail and there was ‘no condition or combination of conditions’ that guarantee he would show up for court dates if released from custody.
The case comes six months after US airline employee Tiron Alexander flew on 34 free flights and booked 120 others by pretending to be a flight attendant or pilot.
The 35-year-old from was found guilty last year of wire fraud charges and is due to be sentenced this week.