Court orders former Curyung Tribal Council accountant to repay $125,834 to tribe

A federal court ordered William Corbett, 37, to pay Curyung Tribal Council $125,834.58 in restitution, court-ordered repayment to victims, on Monday, Sept. 28, five months after sentencing the former Dillingham tribal employee to two years and a day in prison. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Alaska announced the order Tuesday.

The tribe hired Corbett in February 2023 as an accountant and IT specialist, according to court documents. From October 2023 through February 2024, he wrote unauthorized checks from the tribe's accounts to himself and businesses he controlled, forging the signatures of authorized signers. He used co-workers' personal information on falsified payroll documents to divert direct deposits into his own accounts, and he charged personal purchases to the tribe.

The amount has grown at each step. When Corbett was indicted in August 2024, federal prosecutors said he stole over $94,000. The sentencing release says he embezzled over $98,000. The restitution figure is higher still, at $125,834.58. Neither release explains the difference.

The council went public when the charges came. In an Aug. 20, 2024, press release, it said it hoped the case would be resolved quickly so the funds could be repaid. First Chief Gayla Hoseth said in that release that Corbett reported to the council every month on the tribe's finances while he was carrying out the scheme.

Corbett pleaded guilty June 10, 2025, to five counts total: one count of embezzlement and theft from an Indian tribal organization, two counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. On April 17, the court sentenced him to prison, three years of supervised release, a period of court oversight after prison, and a $10,000 fine.

The U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Inspector General Western Region led the investigation, with help from the Dillingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Beausang prosecuted the case.

The federal release does not say how or when payments will reach the tribe.

Hoseth said in 2024 that repayment would not end it. "The harm from his crimes will follow us long after these charges are resolved," she said.