Cathay Pilot pleads guilty to defrauding Air Canada

[altiplano]

Seems fortunate he got off with a conditional discharge, restitution, and probation.

according to the Vancouver Sun:

Pilot ordered to pay Air Canada after scamming $36K in free flights | Vancouver Sun (http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/cathay-pacific-pilot-ordered-to-pay-back-air-canada-after-scamming-36k-in-free-flights/amp)

A Cathay Pacific pilot who pleaded guilty to scamming Air Canada for free flights has been given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay the airline thousands of dollars as restitution.

In a B.C. provincial court decision issued last month, Marc Anthony Tacchi was ordered to abide by a number of conditions for six months, perform 20 hours of community work, and pay back Air Canada $36,551.27.

According to court documents, Tacchi is a 42-year-old Canadian citizen and permanent resident of Hong Kong who works as a pilot for Cathay Dragon, under the Cathay Pacific brand.

[swh]

He was not a CX pilot, nor does he work in Cathay Pacific branded aircraft.

It’s Dragon

[HH Chan]

Wats the diff? same company eh?

[cxorcist]

I actually feel a bit sorry for him. Perhaps he got himself into a financial pinch, and with CX/KA’s horribly expensive staff travel he felt this was a reasonable course of action.

[Flex88]

Just noticed on booking travel with a "One World" buddy airline that when you use the Non Flown method, the My ID Travel blokes take a cut (vig) of the action and charge us for the pleasure of being charged.
Another outside group feeding from the hapless CX staff travel trough.

Time To Win - For Them

[LongTimeInCX]

Such deliberate deceit and dishonesty is so different from the self imposed standards of honesty and decency that we come to expect and practice amongst the vast majority of airline professional pilots, that I'd be surprised if he manages to keep his job.

But there again, CX happen to have had a couple of guys in jail who were - accused of being involved on a murder, and another guy (Canadian) who thought he was smarter than the judge, and both were allowed back to flying.

Very sad how the standards have dropped, guys like this would have been booted out of the military, as trust is something that needs to be a given, and at least 2 of the 3 would have difficulty looking at themselves in the mirror.

[cxorcist]

You’re right LTiCX. He probably will lose his job, but it has nothing to do with trust or integrity. CX doesn’t value those things. He will probably lose his job because of the negative press, which CX abhors.

[SloppyJoe]

CX happen to have had a couple of guys in jail who were - accused of being involved on a murder

I assume as they are not in jail they were found to be innocent? Good they got there jobs back, a shame it is being brought up if that is the case.

[Marc T]

Thank you all so much for logging on a giving your opinion.

The article isn't clear on what happened and I'd like this opportunity to be so.

In 2013 I was given a online promo code from a friend for discount travel on AC. There are many types of such, and I have used many in the past without difficulty.
This one however was different and was for a certain companies use only. I used it for one trip (4 tickets ) with my family, and passed it on so other friends could use it.

I admired guilt to 'obtaining transportation at discount" NOT fraud or theft.
My offer to repay Air Canada back (FULL J fare, not the discount C fare I could have travelled) was accepted,
and the judge agreed wth our submission, I shouldn't be convicted or have a record and I was given a discharge.

That's it.
I wrongly used and passed on a promo code given to me by someone who should have known better.

I should have known better.

So please feel free to flame away. I'm sure none of you ever made an error of judgment.

[B2N2]

The judge also noted that Tacchi had no criminal history, continued to provide financial support to two ex-spouses and their children

Apparently prone to errors in judgement.

[Trafalgar]

There are ALWAYS two sides to these stories.

[altiplano]

Perhaps but, since he plead guilty, it seems that the Crown's side prevailed.

[Trafalgar]

You really have no idea how the justice system works do you ?

[Curtain rod]

While this is not exactly a major case or a major crime at all, prisons everywhere have people who plead guilty to crimes they did not commit, not to mention people who were convicted of crimes they did not commit...If you think the monthly (or so!) rate of US death row inmates, the worst of the worst criminals, who are still being sprung from jail on a regular basis (even after 20+ years of automatic appeals have been exhausted with no luck) if they happen to be lucky enough (very small %) to have some new evidence or technology or law change or fix the story with someone working hard on the outside for years, then imagine being caught up in the other huge % of countries with completely corrupt, disfunctional, politically-driven, useless and blatantly unfair legal systems...not the the US system is free of those things!

[altiplano]

You really have no idea how the justice system works do you ?

Why do you have specifics? Why don’t you enlighten us then?

“2-sides to every story” - Really? Can you give us something a little more cliche?

[LongTimeInCX]

Sloppyjoe

I assume as they are not in jail they were found to be innocent? Good they got there jobs back, a shame it is being brought up if that is the case.



I'm afraid your assumption is wrong - as is your spelling of "there (their) jobs".
In one case, the individual of questionable character, who some colleagues described as narcissistic, served a period of time in jail. How long, and the reasons why are well documented in the free press for anyone with too much time on their hands.

In the other case, which involved the death of a third party, the individual concerned was not convicted. Whilst I personally believe he was innocent, the case was looked at in greater detail, and by folk far better qualified than us laymen observing from afar.

However, your assumption of innocence as they are no longer in jail may not be correct.
You will realise there is a huge difference in the prosecution being unable to secure a conviction, versus the defence being able to prove unequivocally that their client is in fact 100% innocent.

In the case raised by the OP, it may well have been as simple as a poor error of judgment, and the courts appear to have dealt with it quite reasonably.
Still sad for all concerned, not least of which our profession, but also for the individual, his families, and kids.
Kudos to him also for at least putting his side forward.

[Curtain rod]

altiplano, uh, no.

I was commenting in general on the failure of the justice systems in the world to work properly, most notably mentioning a country that uses their very flawed system, even though proven countless times to be a very flawed system, to still go so far as to execute people, as if 1 underserved day in jail wasn't bad enough already.

[altiplano]

Definitely not vindictive, and really could care less... just a relevant industry news story that came in my feed and I also saw in a couple of other forums. I was really just responding to replies to my post. Cheers.

[altiplano]

altiplano, uh, no.

I was commenting in general on the failure of the justice systems in the world to work properly, most notably mentioning a country that uses their very flawed system, even though proven countless times to be a very flawed system, to still go so far as to execute people, as if 1 underserved day in jail wasn't bad enough already.

How is that relevant though?

[Curtain rod]

Because you stated that someone pleasding guilty must be guilty, and Traf stated that you do not seem to understand the legal system, I mistakenly thought that expanding on that theme might enlighten you. But you just want to go on and on with your agenda, instead.

[Airbubba]

If you think the monthly (or so!) rate of US death row inmates, the worst of the worst criminals, who are still being sprung from jail on a regular basis (even after 20+ years of automatic appeals have been exhausted with no luck) if they happen to be lucky enough (very small %) to have some new evidence or technology or law change or fix the story with someone working hard on the outside for years, then imagine being caught up in the other huge % of countries with completely corrupt, disfunctional, politically-driven, useless and blatantly unfair legal systems...not the the US system is free of those things!

Was this written with Google Translate perhaps? ;)

MarcT is a Canadian, not an American. He copped a plea in a Canadian court. He's not on death row.

[altiplano]

Because you stated that someone pleasding guilty must be guilty, and Traf stated that you do not seem to understand the legal system, I mistakenly thought that expanding on that theme might enlighten you. But you just want to go on and on with your agenda, instead.

I didn't state that.

Anyway, no agenda beyond correcting your assumptions, only thought it was a relevant story... I'm out.

[Curtain rod]

Time to ignore you. Have a nice life.

[Bealzebub]

Amongst all the usual preening, did anyone actually read post number 9?

[cpdude]

Apparently not by those so concerned.:=

Nothing to see here...moving on.:ok:

[Flex88]

Yup, read it.. Seems to think that as he was given a promo code that was not specifically for him that all is copasetic.
In many parts of the world (perhaps not Nigeria) that counts as fraud.

It's an act of moral turpitude and you can't just BS your way out of it..

[Air Profit]

Why do you seem to care so much? Seems personal....

[tps8903]

I admired guilt to 'obtaining transportation at discount" NOT fraud
I shouldn't be convicted or have a record.

And exhibit "A" as proof that you should indeed have a criminal record....the very first line of the Judges Sentencing report...

[1] The Accused has pled guilty to fraudulently obtaining transportation from Air
Canada contrary to Section 393(3) of the Criminal Code of Canada.

You obviously have not accepted responsibility for your actions as you continue to minimize your culpability.

[Marc T]

And was given a DISCHARGE by the judge for admitting I should not have used the promo code I was provide with, and repaying Air Canada's loss IN ADVANCE of the hearing (line 27 if you want to follow along). I fully acknowledge and accept my actions were poorly thought out, and wrong. I have done so since day one.

Thank you for creating a new handle for your drive by post.

I said I did it, as I did. I explained my reasons, and was given a discharge on a Summary Offense, which if you brush up on your law, you'll see is the lowest grade of offence.. "trespassing, disturbing the peace, ect.

"A conditional discharge is defined in this excerpt from the Criminal Code of Canada: 730. ... Though not a conviction, it is still evidence of guilt because the accused ”pleads guilty to or is found guilty of an offence"

It's the last i'll say on this.

A judge in court made his decision with the full facts of the matter before him
Your faceless, nameless post is ignorant.

[snoop doggy dog]

Guilty of the fraudulent charges. Early plea to lesson the serverity of the facts that show conclusively Guilt.

If the guilty party is good for the period specified by the magistrate, no convictions. Naughty boy again within that period. Convicted and accomodation with a Big Bubba.

[morningcoffee]

The judge noted you used a fake name and fake address to obtain the tickets? Easy mistake to make I suppose.

[Lions Gate]

Just like the fake information you and your management cronies push out daily morningcoffee?

[morningcoffee]

Pilot ordered to pay Air Canada after scamming $36K in free flights | Vancouver Sun (http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/cathay-pacific-pilot-ordered-to-pay-back-air-canada-after-scamming-36k-in-free-flights)

So the judge is lying? Or the Newspaper?

“The amount involved in these frauds is not insubstantial,” wrote Judge Patrick Chen. “The sole motivation for these offences was greed. The accused used a fake name and fake address when filling out forms to perpetrate some of the frauds.”

[mngmt mole]

You missed the sarcasm MC. Like you and the rest of your managers miss nearly everything else. :rolleyes:

[Pogie]

Wow! Just Wow!

So you:

- You book flights (in First Class, no doubt) using a program in a company you don't even belong to,
- you use a fake name and address in an attempt to not get caught in what is obviously fraud to anyone with an intelligence level above that of a moron,
- you charge a friend (really?) $400 to use a code that you got for free,
- and then you come on here and try to lie about admitting guilt to fraud, and trying to downplay the extent of your actions?

You call this an "error in judgement"?

Wow! Just Wow!

With the lack of morals and integrity shown, why should anybody believe anything you say? You are a self-serving, scumbag with no moral character. The only reason you offered to pay AC the full fare costs is because you knew that you had no chance of winning that case, and feared a harsher conviction.

You're even more pathetic than that knuckle that was using his CX uniform/ID to get through airport security in Hawaii a year or so after he either quit or got fired from CX!

[cxorcist]

Sounds like he is perfect for CX/KA, a bottom of barrel refugee no one in his home country would touch. He might be stuck in HK no matter how bad the contract gets. I’m guessing AT loves this guy.