(Kodiak, AK) – On Aug. 27, 2026, a Kodiak jury convicted Malik Johnson, 26, of Scheme to Defraud and Theft in the First Degree for his role in a phone scam that resulted in the theft of $48,000 from a 65-year-old Kodiak woman in 2024.

On Sept. 6, 2024, a Kodiak woman received a phone call from someone purporting to be from her banking institution. The caller advised her that another person was illegally accessing her bank account and persuaded her that she needed to move her money out of the account to protect it. She authorized a $48,000 wire transfer out of her account. Investigation revealed that the wire transfer was sent to Johnson’s bank account.

Bank records showed that once the wire transfer was complete, the $48,000 was quickly moved out of Johnson’s account by various means to multiple destinations and could not be recovered by the bank.

At the time of the theft in 2024, Johnson was a resident of New York. He was later extradited to Alaska from Ohio to face these charges.

Anchorage Superior Court Judge William Taylor presided over the trial in Kodiak and will sentence Johnson on Dec. 15, 2026. Johnson faces a sentencing range of 1 to 3 years for each of the two counts.

This case was prosecuted by Kodiak District Attorney William Vitkus. The case was investigated by Alaska State Trooper Anthony Will.

Scams of this type are common, and perpetrators often claim to be from real businesses or government agencies. Alaska residents should be aware that scam calls, emails, and text messages may appear to be from legitimate sources. Do not provide usernames, passwords, verification codes, or sensitive identifying information via calls, texts or emails. Be wary of unexpected or strange looking links, even if they appear to be from a real source.