Skydiving instructor jailed after 28 deaths at parachuting school

(WESTERN JOURNAL) – A skydiving instructor has been sentenced to prison after deaths at a parachuting school exposed rampant fraud.

Robert Allen Pooley, 49, was sentenced to two years in prison Monday following a wire fraud conviction relating to his skydiving activities in Lodi, California, according to the Department of Justice.

Pooley first earned a tandem examiner rating in 2010 with the U.S. Parachute Association and Uninsured United Parachute Technologies. Shortly after, he began teaching training courses for people seeking skydiving ratings and certifications.