A California skydiver has been sentenced to two years in prison for wire fraud by running unauthorized tandem skydiving courses.
In 2015, Robert Allen Pooley, 49, of Acampo, had his tandem skydiving credentials, which he had acquired five years prior, suspended. Despite his suspension, he reportedly continued to lead instructor courses, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, all while concealing this information from the students enrolled in those courses
The certifications enabled Pooley to conduct tandem skydiving jumps with individuals worldwide. Much of Pooley’s work as an instructor, both prior to and after the suspension, took place at the contentious Skydive Lodi Parachute Center in Acampo.
The certifications enabled Pooley to conduct tandem skydiving jumps with individuals worldwide. Much of Pooley’s work as an instructor took place at the contentious Skydive Lodi Parachute Center in Acampo.
“[Pooley] hid the fact that he had been suspended, and helped students fill out [U.S. Parachute Association] and [Uninsured United Parachute Technologies] rating paperwork to further the impression that the students would legitimately get their tandem ratings through his courses,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said on Monday per CBS News.
Pooley utilized a digital image of a signature from an active tandem skydiving instructor to authorize the training courses he conducted in various locations, including Mexico, Chile, and Korea. Aspiring course candidates would pay approximately $1,100 to enroll in Pooley’s courses.
Fraudulent Skydiving Certification Preceded a Tragic 2016 Incident Resulting in Two Deaths
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reported that one student (Yong Kwon), who believed they had received legitimate certification through Pooley’s courses, participated in a tandem skydive with a customer (Tyler Turner) in 2016. Tragically, both Kwon and Turner fell to their deaths. Pooley was never held accountable for these fatalities.
SFGATE‘s investigation into the 28 deaths at the Lodi Parachute Center revealed unclear regulations in skydiving. The most recent fatalities in California involved instructor Devrey LaRiccia Chase and student Kayla Black. They both died during a tandem jump at Skydive Perris in August.
In the aftermath of the Turner and Kwon crash, a wrongful death civil lawsuit was filed against William Dause, the longtime owner of the drop zone. Ultimately, Turner’s family received a $40 million judgment in this case.
Yuri Garmashov, the individual whose signature was forged by Pooley, subsequently filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Parachute Association, asserting that he was unjustly held responsible for the two fatalities.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Pooley was found guilty of wire fraud in May following a week-long trial. Meanwhile, a charge of aggravated identity theft was dismissed earlier.