Lodi Skydiving Instructor Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison Following Fatal Incident
A Lodi skydiving instructor, Robert Allen Pooley, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release, for wire fraud charges in a case involving fraudulent use of a colleague’s credentials to certify skydiving students. The sentencing took place on Monday in Sacramento federal court.
Pooley’s certification had been suspended when he approved a tandem jump in 2016 that resulted in the deaths of Yong Kwon, 25, and Tyler Turner, 18. The jump ended tragically when Kwon, who wasn’t properly trained, encountered issues with both parachutes, leading to a fatal fall.
Pooley was sentenced for using signed letters from fellow instructor Yuri Garmashov to falsely certify students, including Kwon, to lead tandem jumps. Although Pooley wasn’t charged directly in the deaths, Judge William Shubb ruled that the incident could influence the length of his sentence due to the risk of injury or death involved in the fraudulent activity.
Pooley has appealed the verdict, but prosecutors argued his actions led people, including Kwon and Turner, to take risks they otherwise wouldn’t have taken.
The Lodi Parachute Center, where the incident occurred, has a history of fatal incidents, with at least 28 deaths since 1985. Pooley was not charged in any of those deaths.