Canadian who posed as pilot for free flights pleads guilty to wire fraud in U.S.

August 11, 2026By The Canadian PressOfficials in the United States say a Toronto man who falsely posed as a commercial pilot to get hundreds of free flights has pleaded guilty to wire fraud. They say Pokornik, who previously worked as a flight attendant for a commercial airline in Canada, agreed to pay restitution to the airlines as part of his plea deal. Pokornik was indicted on wire fraud charges in federal court last October and then arrested in Panama before being extradited to the United States. —This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 10, 2026. AdvertisementWith files from The Associated PressNews from © Canadian Press Enterprises Inc., 2026