ANCHORAGE – A Minto woman was recently sentenced for embezzling money from the Native Village of Minto while employed in a position of trust.   

According to court documents, Melanie Gail Titus, 52, was employed as the bookkeeper for the Minto Village Council, which is the federally recognized native governing body for the Native Village of Minto.  Starting in January 2015, the defendant began embezzling funds from the Minto Village Council’s accounts by issuing herself multiple payroll checks for the same pay periods, tendering duplicative deposits, and falsifying reimbursements for work expenses over the years for personal enrichment.  She never returned the money.  In May 2019, the defendant confessed her theft to the Minto Village Council, and a federal investigation ensued, revealing that her scheme resulted in an actual loss of $55,753.99.

The defendant entered a preindictment plea agreement with the United States following the conclusion of the investigation, and on February 21, 2023, she pleaded guilty to a felony violation, charging her with violating 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1), Theft Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds.  On June 29, 2023, U.S. Chief District Judge Sharon L. Gleason sentenced the defendant to 300 hours of community service work to be completed within 3 years, a 5-year probation term, and $55,753.99 in restitution, among other conditions.

At sentencing, the defendant described her past addiction to cocaine and alcohol as a factor that clouded her judgment and fueled the scheme.  The government emphasized the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct in a position of trust and the economic harm faced by the native village due to her scheme.  In sentencing the defendant, the Court was emphatic that the defendant must make reasonable payments toward restitution and that the 300 community service hours must benefit the Native Village of Minto and its members.

“Over the years, the defendant stole from the Village of Minto to fuel her substance addiction at the expense of her community,” said U.S. Attorney Lane S. Tucker of the District of Alaska. “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting those who seek to victimize our rural communities.”

“Through her years-long embezzlement scheme, the defendant deliberately chose personal enrichment at the expense of her own community, causing economic harm to a village already faced with limited resources,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “The FBI will continue to pursue and hold accountable those who abuse their positions to steal public funds.”

The Fairbanks Resident Agency of the FBI Anchorage Field Office conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Alaska State Troopers.

Assistant U.S. Attorney George Tran is prosecuting the case.

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