Former Pilot Station Mayor Arthur Sammy Heckman, Sr., 68, has been sentenced for a felony conviction of unlawful interference with an election.
Heckman pleaded guilty on Nov. 14, was sentenced to 12 months of incarceration, with all of the time suspended, and five years of probation by Bethel Superior Court Judge Nathanial Peters.
Judge Peters emphasized that the sentencing aimed to support rehabilitation, deter future misconduct, and restore public trust in local government.
In his statement to the court, Heckman apologized to the community but claimed he did not understand that his actions were wrong. Judge Peters, however, found this assertion lacking credibility, citing a 2013 public censure by the Calista Corporation for similar conduct during Heckman’s tenure on its Board of Directors.
Heckman was initially indicted in July 2024 on eight felony and eight misdemeanor charges related to election misconduct in the 2022 and 2023 Pilot Station municipal elections. These charges stemmed from his time as acting mayor following the death of Mayor Nicky Myers in May 2022. According to the Pilot Station Municipal Code, Heckman was to serve as acting mayor only until the October 2022 municipal election, after which a newly seated City Council would elect a mayor.
Instead, Heckman took deliberate actions to obstruct the election process. Immediately after the October 2022 election, he directed City Clerk Ruthie Borromeo to lock away the ballots and prevent them from being counted. The following year, in October 2023, he instructed Borromeo not to hold an election at all, allowing him to remain in power.
The misconduct was reported to the Office of Special Prosecutions and the Alaska State Troopers by concerned residents of Pilot Station, including late City Council Member Anita M. Myers, and local government specialists in the region.The case was investigated by Sergeant Nathan Bucknall of the Alaska Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Erin McCarthy.
As part of a plea agreement, the remaining charges against Heckman were dismissed. He avoided immediate jail time, and received a slap-on-the-wrist probation for the felony conviction.
A fully suspended sentence does not “restore public trust”………at all.
Why can’t anyone report if Mayor Arthur Sammy Heckman, Sr., 68, is a Democrat or a Republican?
He is a registered nonpartisan. -sd
“Nonpartisan” that means that he is a leftist Democrat who is trying to hide his political beliefs and affiliation. He has failed dramatically in his attempt. I think that the sentencing judge was way too lenient.
That tends to mean democrat.
Should of gave him the full time…
Looks like Judge Peters needs one of those vagina hats.
Five years probation for someone that lives in Bethel is no sentence at all. For an egregious felony that’s absolutely wrong.
Total BS, crooks keep getting away with crimes and corruption, you know he’s a Democrat.
In my experience in bush Alaska, it seems the whole concept of democracy and fair elections and orderly change of government is still not very well understood. Its an obeservation not an excuse. But schools could help with more civics lessons. I’ve seen legitimate nominations get removed from an election for fish and game advisory committee just because it threatened the chairman’s seat. Other communities keep electing the same ineffective or even corrupt people to various boards and committees. They’ll even grumble about the person but they keep electing them until the person dies. Its like once a person gets a seat, folks think they should have it forever – amny don’t seem to understand they can elect someone else.
Is he a democrat?
Lyman Hoffman from Bethel has been in the Alaska legislature for 30 years!
Well at least He apologized to the community and claimed He didnt understand his actions were wrong.
That is the best defense in small rural communities.
I have heard that same defense used in cases involving sexual abuse of minors.
To all the people claiming there is no evidence of election fraud at all, ever, in any election:
Nice try.
Almost sounds like he should join the Anchorage Assembly. He would fit right in! Didn’t they violate their own charter when they appointed Austin Quinn-Davidson to be the “acting” Mayor of Anchorage after Berkowitz resigned in disgrace after his affair with the news reporter was revealed. According to the charter they were supposed to hold a special election but they made the decision not to.
If I read the charter correctly, the special election could not be held less than 90 or 120 days after the current Mayor left office. And, the regularly scheduled election was within that timeframe. So… they did not violate the rules. On that front. On a bunch of other issues… that is a different story.
Where do you think He learned it from?
Anchorages finest
Can anyone help with the search for David and Mary Maynard and two children who were lost at sea? ‘https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2024/10/12/homer-capsized-boat-survivor-testifies-about-missing-texas-familys-last-moments-during-presumptive-death-trial/
Dirat I heard of this horrible accident. A family of four is killed. David Maynard, 42; Mary, 37; Colton, 11; and Brantley, 7.
The captain Weston Gilmore and his wife and children, their whole family all survive?
The last thing captain Weston says he tried to do before the boat slipped under was to save his dog? What about the two kids. Doesn’t the captain have a duty to save all of his passengers, most especially the children? So his wife and his kids all survived but not his passenger and their kids? Something smells fishy. Gross negligence, manslaughter? What really happened and why is no one being held accountable for the deaths of this family of four?
Please Suzanne look into this.
It has been unbelievable. Any help with anything would be appreciated.
Thank you for commenting we are holding a fundraiser. ‘https://www.kwtx.com/2025/02/15/fundraiser-being-held-troy-texas-nonprofit-heading-alaska-search-maynard-family/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3DwlJiljXb7YMBkWuArScy50QzO1bGsejzgUY8sIX_-vk0zmQzRU4e9ZU_aem_HMlrrcHhKt3c9XqnUAnT7A#21kio6jeo1rm9fjmztijbgmosqq9fx7d