Former tribal council employee charged with embezzlement, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - 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, 35, stole over $94,000 from the Tribal Council while employed as an accountant/ IT specialist. 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. 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 is charged with one count of embezzlement and theft from an Indian Tribal organization, five counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance on September 3, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kyle F. Reardon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. 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.

U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska made the announcement.

The Department of Interior, Office of Inspector General and the Dillingham Police Department are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Brickey is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.