A family that stars in the Discovery Channel show “Alaskan Bush People” is facing a slew of charges for felony Permanent Fund Dividend fraud, court documents reveal.
Billy Brown, his wife and their seven children are featured in the show that describes them as “born and raised in the wild,” according to Discovery’s website. “They’ve developed their own accent and dialect, refer to themselves as a ‘wolf pack,’ and at night, all nine sleep together in a one-room cabin. Simply put, they are unlike any other family in America.”
On Oct. 3, a Juneau grand jury indicted six of the family members for applying for and receiving the PFD when they did not meet the “physical presence” program requirements, according to a statement from the Alaska Department of Law. The charges, 60 in total, relate to false statements made between 2010 and 2013.
Billy faces the most charges, 24, and is accused of swindling more than $10,000.
The charges are as follows:
- Billy Brown: 12 counts of first-degree unsworn falsification and 12 counts of second-degree theft
- Amora L. Brown: four counts of first-degree unsworn falsification and four counts of second-degree theft
- Joshua Brown: four counts of first-degree unsworn falsification and two counts of second-degree theft
- Solomon Brown: four counts of first-degree unsworn falsification and four counts of second-degree theft
- Gabriel Brown: four counts of first-degree unsworn falsification and four counts of second-degree theft
- Noah Brown: three counts of first-degree unsworn falsification and three counts of second-degree theft
Many Alaskans receive a PFD — which comes from investment profits from Alaska’s oil-wealth savings account — when they have lived in the state for at least one year. First-degree unsworn falsification and second-degree theft are class C felonies and carry a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $50,000, the DOL said.