A Wasilla woman convicted of lying to the U.S. Department of Agriculture about a business she owned and concealing criminal activity on the part of the company’s former president has been sentenced.
Karen Olson, 68, was sentenced Tuesday to serve 30 days in prison and serve 250 hours of community service by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Burgess. She was also ordered to pay a fine of $2,000. Olson, former owner of Valley Dairy, Inc., originally faced a possible sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, but Burgess took her age and ability to pay the fine into account and lessened her sentence, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Olson was charged with making false statements to influence the USDA about how hundreds of thousands of dollars were being spent concerning Valley Dairy president and co-owner Kyle Beus, who used grant money from the government for personal use.
In court, Olson refused to take responsibility for her actions, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office, choosing instead to blame her “political enemies.” Furthermore, prior to imposing his sentence, Burgess stated that the level of deceit on Olsen’s part was “frankly a little breathtaking,” the release says.