Teller woman indicted in embezzling more than $88,000 from tribe

A federal grand jury has indicted a former tribal coordinator on allegations she took more than $88,000 from the accounts of a federally recognized tribe based in Teller.

Tanya Ablowaluk, 46, of Teller, faces one count of embezzlement from a tribal organization for her time as coordinator of the Native Village of Mary's Igloo Traditional Council, a job she held from 2018 to 2021. Her first court appearance is set for Sept. 17.

Prosecutors allege that over those years she used the tribe's bank accounts to move "over $71,000 in unauthorized direct deposits into her personal bank accounts, over $11,000 in debit card purchases," and more than $5,000 in checks for personal payments, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The office noted that an indictment is only an allegation and that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The case is one of a broader federal push to tighten oversight of tribal governments that administer federal money. The Interior Department's inspector general investigates alleged embezzlement of tribal funds, and Mary's Igloo is a federal grant recipient.

The public record carries only the government's account. It includes no statement from the tribal council.