OneFlight sued over alleged Ponzi scheme operation

A lawsuit filed on 20 September in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado alleges that OneFlight International operated as a Ponzi scheme, using new customer deposits to fund existing obligations to earlier customers, vendors and charter operators.

Jeremy Ricks, a California-based jet card client, alleges he paid OneFlight over $750,000 across multiple programs between May 2025 and June 2026. According to Private Jet Card Comparisons, which reported the lawsuit, Ricks claims the company assured him repeatedly of financial stability and that his prepaid, non-refundable deposits were safe, even as OneFlight's actual financial condition deteriorated.

OneFlight, based in Centennial, Colorado, paused flight activity last week. The pause came after Private Jet Card Comparisons reported in an earlier article that the company was addressing financial issues, based on an internal memo the outlet obtained.

The allegations

The lawsuit names OneFlight, CEO Ferren Rajput, Executive Vice President of Sales Mark Dismuke, and sales executive John Crandall as defendants. It alleges fraud, fraudulent concealment, negligent misrepresentation, civil conspiracy, breach of contract, civil theft and unjust enrichment.

Ricks alleges that beginning in May 2025 and continuing through at least September 2026, the defendants "repeatedly and affirmatively assured plaintiff" of OneFlight's solvency in response to his specific inquiries, while they knew or "recklessly disregarded" that the company's prepaid-flight-hour liabilities exceeded its ability to deliver purchased flight time.

The filing claims OneFlight used funds from Ricks and other new depositors to service 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."

How the sales approach worked

Ricks responded to a OneFlight promotion in May 2025 and was contacted by Crandall. He requested a conversation with Dismuke to ask questions about OneFlight's solvency before committing funds. According to the filing, Dismuke told Ricks that CEO Rajput was "watching the deal" and was personally assuring him that OneFlight was "good financially" and that "everything is good."

Before the initial deal was finalised, Ricks alleges Crandall and Dismuke solicited him to make a larger deposit, offering to waive OneFlight's $15,000 annual Silver BAJ Card membership fee and offering free flight hours if he deposited at least $280,000. Ricks made an initial non-refundable deposit of no less than $100,000 in May 2025, then a further non-refundable deposit of $100,000 in June 2025, bringing his total to $200,000.

On or about 26 November 2025, during a Black Friday promotion, Ricks deposited an additional $250,000. The filing alleges Crandall and Dismuke made significant mention of OneFlight's sponsorships of the Myrtle Beach Classic and its status as official private aviation partner of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's golf league TGL to demonstrate solvency.

In June 2026, Ricks saw a 40 percent off promotion. When he contacted Crandall to ask how OneFlight could offer such a deep discount, he questioned the company's financial health. According to the filing, Crandall represented that he was personally aware OneFlight was thriving and had personal assurances from Dismuke and Rajput to the same. Ricks deposited an additional $150,000 on 4 June 2026 for a two-year 40 percent discount, bringing lifetime deposits to $780,000. A few days later, Ricks saw an identical promotion being offered to other customers.

Sponsorships and the illusion of strength

The lawsuit alleges that despite deteriorating finances, OneFlight continued to spend on sponsorships to create an appearance of financial stability. In mid-2026, the company became official private aviation partner of the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team in a multi-year collaboration featuring branding on race cars and the race suits of drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. It also became title sponsor of the PGA Tour Myrtle Beach Classic with enhanced sponsorship that included a featured display of a McLaren F1 race car and a headline performance by The Beach Boys, plus a $250,000 flight credit to the winning golfer and a five-hour flight credit to every player who made the 36-hole cut.

Ricks alleges in the filing that the PGA Tour sponsorship took place at a time when OneFlight was struggling to pay its vendors and air charter operators. The filing states that "in mid-2026, OneFlight… increased its marketing campaign specifically to attract new customer deposits in order to fund and fulfil its existing obligations on previously sold prepaid flight hours — that is, to use new depositors' money to pay obligations owed to earlier depositors and vendors, the defining characteristic of a Ponzi scheme."

What it means for customers

For jet card holders with prepaid balances at OneFlight, the lawsuit raises immediate questions about whether deposits are recoverable. The filing indicates Ricks spent approximately $200,000 on flights, leaving him with a cash balance of $580,461.42 that he is seeking to recover.

Private Jet Card Comparisons reports that neither Rajput, Dismuke nor Crandall responded to a request for comment. It is unclear from available reporting what steps clients should take, whether OneFlight remains operational beyond the paused flights, or what timeline the company has given for resumption of service. Existing cardholders should contact their brokers or legal advisers to understand their position as a creditor in any potential bankruptcy or settlement proceeding.