A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment last week charging a Dillingham man with federal crimes associated with a scheme to steal funds from the Curyung Tribal Council while he served as an accountant/ IT specialist.
According to court documents, from October 2023 to February 2024, William Corbett stole over $94,000 from the Tribal Council while employed as an accountant/ IT specialist. Originally, when he was arrested in March, the amount he had allegedly stolen was about $77,000.
Corbett was responsible for overseeing the Tribe’s finances and had access to and control over the Tribal Council’s accounting software data, financial account, payroll information, credit cards and checkbooks.
Checks issued by the Curyung Tribal Counsel were not valid unless signed by at least two authorized signors. Corbett was not an authorized signor. The indictment alleges Corbett unlawfully issued checks from the Tribal Council’s account by forging the signatures of authorized signors. The checks were issued as payable to himself and businesses under his control, Bristol Suppliers and Datton LLC. The earliest check was dated Oct. 6, and the most recent check was allegedly deposited on Feb. 20. He also allegedly fabricated invoices and payroll documents by using personal information of two people, causing direct deposits to be made from the Tribal Council’s accounts to accounts controlled by Corbett.
Corbett, 35, is being charged with one count of embezzlement and theft from an Indian Ttribal organization, five counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. The defendant had his initial court appearance on Sept. 3 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kyle F. Reardon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. I
If convicted, he faces a mandatory sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, in addition to up to 20 years in prison and $750,000 in fines for his other alleged crimes. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This miniscule example of corruption provides a window into the massive government funded grant/subsidy complex which has largely replaced viable and productive economic activity. There are far more people depending on “jobs” writing grants and administering programs along with their “client” recipients depending on them, than actual productive mining, manufacturing, farming, ect. The graft opportunity is far more lucrative on aid and grants issued for international projects including mass migration, toppling governments, “aid” to Ukraine, ect, which accumulate into trillions of dollars from which to siphon off.
Good point Brian.
This situation resembles the massive fraud and corruption scandal that resulted in the largest state record setting siphoning of tax dollars by high level politician/lawyer/lobbyists that occurred during the 80’s across the north slope.
Money that was intended for infrastructure was funneled into the big deep pockets of many wolves in charge of helping bring village service and facilities up to par.
Now it is replaced with government funding to keep the native communities flush with cash in leu of developing natural resources.
Big influx of cash breeds fraud.
On the topic of keeping the Native communities flush with taxpayer cash, it has its’ pay off obligations to its’ patrons. Frank Murkowski, who was the poster child definition of the elite white corrupt liberals who perpetually maintain power over this state, (self proclaimed Republicans until recently) held the office of Commissioner of Economic Development (the similarity in terminology and job description with a soviet commissar is telling). Then moving onto the more lucrative position of president of the Alaska National Bank of the North and skimming off the Bering Straits Native Corp. He needed his own bank to stash the loot. It’s just grown far worse since the good old days.
Bull’s Eye, Brian.
Please note the proper abbreviation is not “ect” but rather “etc”. Many adults say “ect cetera”.
The true phrase is Latin: Et Cetera = “And so forth”.
Rock on.
The poor lost soul. Hopefully he’ll read and study the Bible while incarcerated leading to a productive life doing good things for good people. May the judge have wisdom to impose a just sentence.
No doubt you’ll be praying for him.
Stolen identity? He wasn’t using the name “Custer” to steal, by any chance?
Behold the straw man.
This is Native on Native crime, nothing to do with Custer… maybe more like Sioux v western tribes if you have to go down that road.
‘https://www.facebook.com/share/p/oFWxfed7B7YB8X9d/
Corruption is deeply entrenched in bush Alaska, with a blog dedicated to exposing cover-ups in Dillingham. An examination of the posted documents uncovers ties between these individuals and various figures in Dillingham, including key employees within the State of Alaska and the Bristol Bay Native Association. Public requests for audits and nonprofit records, as well as public records from the City of Dillingham, have gone angrily ignored.
Why is it that the Fed chases down minor cretins responsible for federal offenses and threatens them with giant penalties that far exceed their crime. This is the case every time when the Fed hears about somebody stealing from city coffers. This idiot Corbett stole less than $100k and is being threatened with $750k in fines and 20 years in jail.
Conversely, Garrett Elder of Tycoon Trading stole approx $30mm from roughly 130 hard working Alaska families, ratholed a pile of it and rec’d 8 years in Club Fed by a now shamed former judge. Same judge said straight faced that he had to pay it back which on the discretionary savings from a sidewalk snow plowman’s salary would take more than 1000 years.
The greater criminal is the government.
Not to detract from the crime that man committed, but you have a point. This is a red herring by the government to get us to quit thinking about bigger problems – the government…period.
Take a look at the Red Dog Mine and it’s financials. See how the State and the members of the Kotzebue area are losing out through the “Zinc” hoax. Many other valuable minerals including trace minerals are leaving the State annually without accountability, to include mine tailings. The mine tailings are one of the most valuable assets leaving the State for communities that are ravaged by low level locations along the Kotzebue area. Just saying. Red Dog should be required to process the ore in the State of Alaska, leaving the tailings for the communities for road, airports, and location footings.
I disagree with the comments; these far flung tribal councils are the last set of laws that is meant to represent their members. I believe their fraud has an outsized pact on the people they represent, furthermore, only the organizations have tribal immunity from prosecution, not the members or officers. The imbalance in law is far beyond a violation of constitutional rights. I think our voting should be certified by the state or feds and all members should have a vote on all matters, not just the board. It is a federal crime to use any law to violate people’s constitutional rights. Our organizations run all Alaska economics w no remedy in law for 90% of the people impacted. Real world impact.
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