Two former Anchorage residents have been indicted for receiving Permanent Fund Dividends when they were allegedly living out of state.
On Sept. 3, a grand jury indicted 38-year-old Nichelle Smith on 18 counts of first-degree unsworn falsification, 21 counts of second-degree theft and one count of scheme to defraud. The jury also indicted 35-year-old Olivia Duron-Smith on 10 counts of first-degree unsworn falsification, seven counts of second-degree theft. All the charges stem from false statements made on PFD applications submitted between 2009 and 2014, according to a statement from the Alaska Department of Law.
The indictment alleges that Smith swindled $15,736 from PFD applications filed for herself and children. Duron-Smith received $6,212 from PFD applications filed for herself and children between 2012 and 2014, the DOL said. The two women are sisters, said Lisa Kelley, assistant attorney general.
Scheming to defraud means someone is trying to obtain $10,000 or more by “false or fraudulent pretenses” and is a class B felony. If convicted, Smith faces up to 10 years in jail and a fine of up to $100,000.
If convicted of first-degree unsworn falsification or second-degree theft — both of which are class C felonies — the two women face a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $50,000.
The investigation was conducted by the state Department of Revenue’s Criminal Investigations Unit. This year’s PFD amount will be announced Wednesday.