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 accounts of the Native Village of Mary's Igloo Traditional Council, a federally recognized tribe based in Teller.

Tanya Ablowaluk, 46, of Teller, faces one count of embezzlement from an Indian tribal organization. Her initial court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 17 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott A. Oravec of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. The case was filed in federal court in Alaska on Aug. 20 under case number 4:26-cr-00015-1.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Alaska, led by Michael J. Heyman, said Ablowaluk served as the tribe's Tribal Coordinator from Jan. 1, 2018, to Aug. 31, 2021. Citing court documents, the office alleges that between January 2018 and September 2021 she accessed the tribe's bank accounts to make "over $71,000 in unauthorized direct deposits into her personal bank accounts, over $11,000 in debit card purchases and issued over $5,000 in checks for personal payments." A KNOM summary described transfers from a general checking account and a small grants account.

If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. A federal judge would set the sentence under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said an indictment is only an allegation. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Mary's Igloo is listed as a federal grant recipient headquartered in Teller. The Interior Department's Office of Inspector General investigates alleged embezzlement of tribal funds, part of a broader push to tighten internal controls and audits at tribal governments that administer federal money.

The available public records carry only the government's account. They include no statement from the tribal council.