SACRAMENTO — A man who worked as a Sacramento television station news helicopter pilot was sentenced to two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, officials said last week.
U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. sentenced John Michael Dial, 58, of Skaneateles, New York for using names of actual persons to commit violations of federal law such as false statements to the Federal Aviation Administration and forgery of a U.S. passport, officials said.
“The sentencing today of John Michael Dial for aggravated identity theft is a clear signal that the safety of the nation’s air transportation system remains a high priority for both the Office of Inspector General and the Department of Transportation,” said William Swallow, DOT OIG regional Special Agent-In-Charge.
Around March 23 of that year, he was a briefly pilot for KCRA-TV in Sacramento, according to news reports.
According to court documents, this is what happened:
- From December 16, 2009, to August 4, 2010, Dial was hired as a television news helicopter pilot and operated news helicopters in the Bay Area without a pilot’s license.
- Dial worked for an air ambulance service in Susanville and provided numerous false identification documents to his employer.
- From July 3, 2011, to November 7, 2011, he operated a helicopter approximately 63 times without having a valid pilot certificate.
- On March 15, 2012, Dial was hired to work as a television news helicopter pilot in Sacramento.
- Dial used his real name but the FAA certificates he provided were fraudulent. He flew two times without having a valid pilot certificate.
- Dial used the identity of a former co-worker to gain employment with an air ambulance service in New York, and he created a fraudulent U.S. passport using that person’s identity.
- Dial’s identity theft became clear when he was stopped in Idaho for a traffic violation and produced falsified ID from Vermont.
Dial pleaded guilty on July 31, 2014.
“Dial stole identities, creating and forging numerous counterfeit documents to conceal his identity and criminal history as he moved from state to state to outrun his past. His crime presented a threat to public safety as his true identity and criminal history precluded him from obtaining access to aircraft and the certification necessary for employment as a commercial helicopter pilot,” said Special Agent in Charge Monica Miller of the FBI’s Sacramento field office.
Adding, “Despite his efforts to evade law enforcement, Dial was pursued across numerous state lines and was ultimately apprehended in Skaneateles, New York.”