ANCHORAGE — A Juneau grand jury has indicted an Anchorage couple suspected of illegally accepting more than $36,000 in Alaska Permanent Fund dividends.
Prosecutors contend Brian Faatiliga, 31, and Vaealemasina Faatiliga, 33, lied on their applications for the state checks for 2008 and 2009, claiming they were eligible but living in Hawaii.
Residents who want the dividends cannot be absent from Alaska more than 180 days in the year before applying.
According to the Department of Revenue, the Faatiligas and their six children were in Hawaii receiving government benefits from November 2007 to August 2008 at the same time they applied for Alaska dividends.
An anonymous tip about the Faatiligas led to their prosecution.
The Anchorage Daily News reported the grand jury Friday indicted Brian Faatiliga on four felony counts of fraud, theft and lying on an application. The grand jury indicted Vaealemasina Faatiliga on four felony counts of theft and lying on documents.
The family cashed or deposited a $36,592 in dividends, said Revenue Department spokeswoman Lacy Wilcox.
“They weren’t using this money to buy heating oil, we can assume that,” Wilcox said. “They might’ve been using it to buy sun tan oil.”
The family moved back and forth between Alaska and Hawaii, Wilcox said, and the parents sometimes were in different states. The couple was charged for times when investigators contend that neither parent was in Alaska, Wilcox said.
A conviction could result in jail time and thousands in fines. The Faatiligas also could permanently lose eligibility for dividends.
Revenue Department investigators have presented cases leading to three indictments for dividend fraud this year, Wilcox said.
Investigators last year received about 630 tips of suspected dividend fraud on 1,214 applications, Wilcox said. About 50 were subject to administrative penalties and 18 were recommended for prosecution, she said.
Comments (14)
Add comment2 days after ADN reported the same story
A family of 8 files fraudulent PFD claims but only 4 felony counts and they might lose pfds forever.
Crime pays well in AK.
Easy money!
Just cross check the free loaders on the ferries going and coming-- and the Arizona ID cards and drivers licenses. Offer a 50% bounty on collected funds and wow; I'm in business!!
I want some of that! lol
"could permanently lose eligibility for dividends."
What the heck? Sure they should lose. They should also serve a few months jury duty service..lol.
Wow. With the couple last week and that $50,000, there's at least a total of $125,000 now that should have been "ours"?! lol
They should give us an
They should give us an adjustment at the end of the year...
agree with do the right thing!
There should be harsher penalties for this kind of fraud, we make it too easy for folks not living here (military, etc.) to get PFDs anyway!
I think there should also be a fine of at least one PFD for anyone who SIGNS someone else's fraudulent PFD.
Good point kpawsuh! I agree.
Good point kpawsuh! I agree. Glad that someone gave a "tip" about this family. However, without tips like this, how much longer would this family and others like them, get our PFD money? Why is the PFD agency not ensuring that those who file while they are outside, are legally eligible for them? While filing on-line makes it easier for us Alaskans, it also makes it easier for those crooks to file from the "outside".
So what happens to that money that is paid out to these crooks? Do we get that back? How? If we do, does it go back into the PFD account and distributed to us Alaskans?
Really? To all of those
Really? To all of those people who think that this couple should deserve a worse punishment and what not I honestly don't agree with you... and most of the information that's provided for you in this document is false.... Honestly you people must not care about the six children they have... but wait they don't have six they have EIGHT now I know this because I'm their oldest daughter... The author who wrote and published this made sound worse than it really is, my little siblings and I really miss our parents and need their comfort... both my baby sisters that were born up here in Anchorage, Alaska in the year 2010 and 2011 keep asking me where my parents are and I can't even tell them. They would cry at night because they miss my parents so much.. So people please think before you speak God Bless.... Alofa ia te outou tama ma tina....
To baybi eta
To bAybi Eta (you call yourself baby and u are the oldest of 8 um okay...) I am the oldest of 10. So I know all too well of what it is like to have a big family and be the oldest. To your comment of "Most the information provided for us is false", really ok so your parents didn't lie on you guys applications stating that your family was here when you weren't is that right? And that little bit about people not caring about the 6 no wait! 8 children they have, uh sweetie THAT is YOUR parents job!!! They wanted to have that many kids and they KNEW full on what the consequences were when they lied to the state in the first place because the consequences are attached to the application. They are probably mad cuz they got caught and not cuz they did something illegal. The reason why you can't tell your little sisters is because THEY don't understand so heres something mommy and daddy did something wrong and are in a "time out". I understand you miss your parents but to ask for sympathy from people you are stealing from is a bit much, maybe YOU should think before you speak. Don't lash out at us take that up with your parents. God works in mysterious ways! AMENE
yeah i guess you're right j
yeah i guess you're right j pili and that's funny because my family knows your family... won't get into detail with that but cause it doesn't really matter anyways yeah I should think before I speak.. I blame myself for speaking out of anger... but the information that they based all this on is false.. yeah you can say I'm trying to cover up or whatever but that isn't the case.. I don't need anyone's sympathy I really could care less.. God does work in mysterious ways AMEN to that.. but it's wuhtevahz what you think about this situation is none of my concern so you have a Blessed life God Bless you and your wonderful family(: teo isaiah ised hi
Eta
My family is pretty big so I am pretty sure our families might know eachother. But that doesn't change my opinion of what you wrote. It seemed like you were using the fact that you have a big family as an excuse for sympathy from people who were expressing their feeling about what they thought of the article. You say u could care less and its wuhtezahz I think about the situation maybe if you could HONESTLY see the "situation" for wut it is then maybe u could move forward. Let me give u a piece of advice someone gave me, excuses will keep u going in circles but if u stop n take responsibility u can break the cycle. God bless you too.
J
Ding! Man you're right again thanks for the advice I'll carry that with me always(: everyone has their own opinions so if you didn't like what I had to say than that's that buht I don't think you nor I should waste our time over this(: I don't want or need sympathy I just need to pray same goes fah yall buht newayzzz thx a bunch
Eta
Dong! Wutevers, you were looking for sympathy and didn't get it so oh well better luck next time.
;)
;)