Former Dillingham tribe employee federally charged in embezzlement case

The Curyung Tribal Council agency (Margaret Sutherland/KDLL)

A erstwhile worker of Dillingham’s Curyung Tribe is being indicted for embezzlement and fraud successful a national court.

William Corbett, nan erstwhile finance head of nan Curyung Tribal Council, is accused of embezzling much than $94,000 from nan Curyung Tribe. He faces 11 felony charges, including embezzlement, ligament fraud, aggravated personality theft, and criminal forfeiture.

Gayla Hoseth, nan council’s first chief, said Corbett lied to members successful personification during nan scheme, which allegedly unfolded past winter.

“The Curyung Tribal Council placed Mr. Corbett successful a position of nan utmost spot and he betrayed that trust. Mr. Corbett came earlier nan assembly monthly to study connected nan tribe’s finances erstwhile he was really orchestrating a fraudulent strategy to bargain money from nan tribes,” Hoseth said.

Corbett served arsenic finance head for nan people from January 2023 to February 2024, a 13-month tenure that ended abruptly erstwhile nan embezzlement was discovered. According to nan national charging documents, Corbett was fraudulently acquiring costs from early October until Feb. 21 this year.

Corbett was initially charged this outpouring successful authorities court. He faced six charges related to nan embezzlement of complete $80,000 from nan council. A national investigation led to further charges and nan magnitude of alleged embezzlement was revised to much than $94,000.

Corbett was nan only worker responsible for overseeing nan tribe’s finances and had afloat entree and authority complete nan tribe’s financial affairs. Charging documents opportunity he was unlawfully issuing checks from nan Curyung Tribal Council’s relationship payable to himself, by forging nan signatures of authorized tribal assembly members and nan tribal administrator.

Hoseth noted that Corbett’s actions had lasting repercussions. She said Corbett jeopardized nan tribe’s expertise to unafraid and utilize authorities costs for basal organization resources.

“Even if Mr. Corbett could repay each of nan costs that he stole, nan reputational harm our people will suffer tin not beryllium understated,” she said. “The harm from his crimes will travel america agelong aft these charges are resolved and agelong aft nan amounts are restored.”

Corbett was released connected a $10,000 bail this February and has been awaiting trial. With nan caller charges, Corbett now faces tests successful some authorities and national courts.