A California skydiving instructor, Robert Allen Pooley, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for running unauthorized skydiving instructor courses, a scheme that resulted in tragedy and widespread fraud at the Lodi Parachute Center. Pooley, 49, of Acampo, was convicted in May 2024 after a seven-day trial that exposed his involvement in falsifying credentials for tandem skydiving instructors, despite having his certification revoked in 2015.
Pooley had initially earned his certification as a tandem examiner in 2010, allowing him to train and certify instructors who would, in turn, conduct tandem jumps with the public. However, in 2015, both the U.S. Parachute Association (USPA) and Uninsured United Parachute Technologies LLC (UPT), the manufacturer of the tandem parachute systems, suspended his credentials. Despite the suspension, Pooley continued offering the courses, falsely claiming to his students that he was still authorized to certify them.
Skydiving instructor at California center that's seen 28 deaths gets prison time | Click on the image to read the full story https://t.co/QwfE5YtvO3
— WTAE-TV Pittsburgh (@WTAE) October 4, 2024
Operating out of the infamous Lodi Parachute Center, Pooley ran the unauthorized training courses from 2015 onward, charging each participant around $1,100. Students came from across the globe, including South Korea, Mexico, and Chile, believing that they were receiving valid certifications to conduct tandem jumps. Pooley further concealed his fraud by using the signature of a legitimate examiner who was out of the country during the time of the certifications, deceiving students and organizations.
The consequences of his fraudulent operation turned deadly. In August 2016, a skydiver trained by Pooley, Yong Kwon, and his tandem passenger, 18-year-old Tyler Turner, tragically died after their parachutes failed to deploy during a jump.
Bogus Skydiving instructor jailed for lying about being qualified to teach at California center that’s seen 28 deaths https://t.co/TTzCOGI9U9 pic.twitter.com/CxZp0ppodJ
— New York Post (@nypost) October 3, 2024
This horrific accident, in which both men plummeted to their deaths in a nearby vineyard, led to heightened scrutiny of Pooley’s operations. Turner’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the parachute center, ultimately winning a $40 million judgment, although reports suggest that they have yet to receive compensation.
The Lodi Parachute Center, where Pooley operated, has a notorious safety record, with at least 28 skydiving-related deaths since its opening in 1981. The 2016 fatality involving Turner and Kwon was one of the most publicized, prompting federal authorities to investigate Pooley's role in the deaths. However, Pooley was not directly charged with the fatalities. Instead, he faced federal wire fraud charges for his unauthorized courses and the deceptive practices used to convince students of their legitimacy.
U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb handed down the two-year sentence on September 30, 2024, citing the widespread impact of Pooley’s fraudulent certifications and the grave risks posed by his actions. Many of the students trained under Pooley were forced to undergo additional training and recertification at other, legitimate institutions, adding to the financial and emotional toll they experienced. Several students also sought refunds from Pooley but were refused, further intensifying the fallout from his scheme.
This case highlights the ongoing safety concerns surrounding skydiving in California, particularly at the Lodi Parachute Center, which has become infamous for its lax safety standards. Despite the deaths and legal battles, the center continues to operate, drawing attention from both regulators and concerned members of the skydiving community. As for Pooley, his imprisonment serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by fraudulent training in high-risk industries like skydiving.
