Crime & Courts

Former Alaska women face multiple felony charges alleging PFD theft

Two former Anchorage residents face a total of 43 criminal charges for allegedly receiving Permanent Fund dividends illegally over the past several years.

According to a Superior Court indictment filed Sept. 3, 38-year-old Nichelle Smith and 35-year-old Olivia Duron-Smith have been charged with numerous counts of first-degree unsworn falsification and second-degree theft. Smith also faces a charge of scheme to defraud.

The charges stem from false statements made on dividend applications submitted between 2009 and 2014, according to the Alaska Department of Law.

Smith pocketed $15,736 from applications for herself and her minor children, according to the indictment; Duron-Smith received $6,212 for herself and her children.

The state charges defendants with scheme to defraud, a felony, when they try to fraudulently obtain $10,000 or more. If convicted of the alleged crime, Smith could get 10 years in prison and be fined up to $100,000.

The unsworn falsification and theft charges also are felonies that carry maximum penalties of five years jail time and $50,000 fines.

Both women have been summoned to appear in Anchorage court on Oct. 6. Smith lives in San Diego, and Duron-Smith lives in SeaTac, Washington, according to court documents.

This year's PFD amount, projected to be more than double the 2013 check of $900, will be announced Wednesday.

Jerzy Shedlock

Jerzy Shedlock is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2017.

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