A "fraudster" deceived his way onto hundreds of free flights by pretending to be a pilot, a court has heard.
Ex-flight attended Dallas Pokornik allegedly spent four years exploiting a fake employee ID card and his industry know-how to travel without paying on three major carriers.
The scheme bears striking similarities to the 2002 Steven Spielberg film Catch Me If You Can, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a conman who impersonated a Pan Am pilot.
Mr Pokornik currently faces two wire fraud charges relating to Hawaiian Airlines flights taken in August and October 2024.
Prosecutors allege the Toronto resident frequently attempted to secure cockpit jump seats, which are normally reserved for off-duty pilots, trainees or inspectors.
Mr Pokornik worked as a steward for Air Canada between July and October 2017, according to court documents.
He allegedly used a fraudulent Air Canada employee badge and lied about his employment status to obtain travel benefits intended for airline staff.
Investigators believe his familiarity with airline systems and staff verification procedures was central to the alleged fraud.
Dallas Pokornik posed as a pilot to catch hundreds of free flights and lead a jet-setting lifestyle, a court heard
|If found guilty, Mr Pokornik faces up to 20 years in a Hawaiian federal prison - and fines reaching $250,000 (£186,000).
He has pleaded not guilty.
Photographs on Mr Pokornik's Facebook account reveal a globe-trotting lifestyle spanning New York, London, Los Angeles, Mexico and a floating beach club in Thailand.
One video from September 2022 shows him boarding a private jet wearing a Hugo Boss polo shirt before settling into a leather seat with a glass of wine.
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The alleged frauds have been compared to Spielberg flick 'Catch Me If You Can'
|DREAMWORKS PICTURES
Federal court records, first reported by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, indicate his alleged deception caused Hawaiian, United and American Airlines to issue tickets without charge.
The precise number of occasions Mr Pokornik occupied a cockpit jump seat versus a standard cabin seat remains unclear from court documents.
Mr Pokornik was detained in Panama on 19 January before being extradited to the United States, where he was indicted on 2 October.
In court filings, US Assistant Attorney Michael Nammar said an "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".
The defendant "is a Canadian citizen with no ties to the United States that was extradited from Panama" and poses a "serious risk" of fleeing if granted bail, Mr Nammar added.
The prosecution maintains no conditions exist that would guarantee his appearance at future hearings.
The case emerges six months after Tiron Alexander, a 35-year-old Californian, was convicted of wire fraud for taking 34 complimentary flights while posing as cabin crew or a pilot.
Mr Alexander faces sentencing on Friday.
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