Fifth lawsuit against OneFlight alleges Ponzi scheme as broker remains shuttered

Robert K. Hillin, Jr. has filed the fifth lawsuit against OneFlight International, alleging the jet card broker operated a Ponzi scheme by selling customers flight credits despite large existing account balances.

Hillin joined OneFlight in mid-January 2026 and paid $550,000 in three separate transactions. According to the court filing, he made only four trips, with the first not occurring until 4 June 2026. The filing did not state the value of those trips. OneFlight paused operations on 16 September 2026.

Allegations of deceptive marketing

Hillin alleges that OneFlight used high-profile ambassadors, sponsorships and third-party audits to portray itself as "financially sound and capable." According to the lawsuit, the company leveraged designations including ARGUS Certified Charter Broker and Wyvern Wingman Broker status in marketing materials to represent that it met high industry standards for safety, operational integrity and fiscal responsibility.

The suit specifically names CEO Ferren Rajput and Executive Vice President of Sales Mark Dismuke as defendants. The filing alleges Dismuke "was responsible for supervising OFI's sales personnel, and for soliciting and closing, personally and together with Defendant Rajput, large customer deposits, including plaintiff's." This is the second lawsuit to name Dismuke as a defendant.

Hillin's attorney writes that "Defendants used a portion of the funds obtained from plaintiff and other new depositors to service and forestall exposure of OFI's obligations to earlier customers and vendors, and to fund an escalating marketing and sponsorship campaign — including sponsorship of the McLaren F1 team and PGA TOUR events — specifically designed to project an image of solvency and prosperity to induce further deposits by plaintiff and other customers, all while OFI's actual financial condition was deteriorating."

Hillin also claims OneFlight "represented its promotional offers as limited to a small number of customers."

Pattern of similar allegations

This lawsuit continues a pattern documented in previous filings against OneFlight. Earlier cases have similarly alleged that the company sold additional flight credits to customers whose accounts already held substantial balances, following a structure consistent with Ponzi scheme allegations.

The lawsuit cites an interview with Rajput by Private Jet Card Comparisons in which Rajput said, "The promotions are loss leaders, but those loss leaders drive a lot of business. The phones ring; we create more business. The point is you sell 10 cheap cards, and you get those customers for the next four or five years." It is unclear from available reporting how Rajput's statement relates to the allegations in the filing or what additional context surrounded that interview.