Former employee sentenced and ordered to pay restitution for embezzling from federally recognized Tribe

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Dillingham man and former employee of Curyung Tribal Council, a federally recognized Tribe, was sentenced on April 17, 2026, to two years and a day in prison for stealing his co-workers’ identities and embezzling over $98,000 from the Tribe.

According to court documents, William Corbett, 37, was hired by Curyung Tribal Council in February 2023 as an accountant and IT specialist. From October 2023 through February 2024, Corbett wrote multiple unauthorized checks from the Tribe’s accounts to his accounts, falsified payroll documents of his co-workers and deposited their paychecks into his accounts, and made unauthorized personal purchases that he charged to the Tribe.

On June 10, 2025, Corbett pled guilty to one count of embezzlement and theft from an Indian tribal organization, two counts of wire fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. The court sentenced Corbett to a total of two years and a day in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay a $10,000 fine. On September 28, 2026, the court also ordered Corbett to pay $125,834.58 in restitution to the Tribe.

“The sentence and restitution order imposed in this case demonstrates the consequences of choosing to steal from Alaska’s Tribal organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “My office is committed to prosecuting those who seek personal profit at the expense of our rural communities.”

The U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Inspector General Western Region investigated the case, with assistance from the Dillingham Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Beausang prosecuted the case.

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