Former Head of Healy Lake Tribe Sentenced in Federal Court

doj justiceThe U.S. Justice Department revealed on Friday that Fairbanks resident and former First Chief and Tribal Administrator of the Healy Lake Tribe, 60-year-old JoAnne Polston, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for “converting federal government and tribal funds to her own use.”

According to DOJ, Polston “was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Beistline to three years’ probation with special conditions including 90 days home confinement and cooperation with representatives of the Healy Lake Tribe concerning whereabouts and disposition of tribal funds, and payment of restitution of $4,577.61 to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and $102,860.20 to the Healy Lake Tribe.” Polston pled guilty to the charges in September of 2015.

Court documents in the case showed that Polston, from 2009 until 2012, as administrator for the tribe, wrote herself checks and transferred monies from the tribal account to her own personal account as well as double-dipped per diem. Court records showed that Polston received per diem payments from BIA for $4,577.61 after already paying herself per diem from the tribe’s for the very same trips.[xyz-ihs snippet=”adsense-body-ad”]

The prosecutor in the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Yvonne Lamoureux, showed in court that “Between August 2009 and May 2012, Polston knowingly converted the Tribe’s money to her own use by writing herself checks and transferring money into her account in the amount of at least $10,914.20. Between
May 2009 and June 2013, Polston also paid herself $91,946.00 without backup documentation, above and
beyond her salary payments or other authorized payments.”

“The results of this prosecution reflect the Department of Interior Office of Inspector General’s commitment to pursue fraud involving the Department’s programs and its commitment to its trust responsibility to Native Americans,” said U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge
David House. “Public corruption in Native American communities is especially egregious because it usually
comes at the expense of vital tribal programs intended for the benefit of the entire tribal community.”

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The case was investigated by the FBI and the Department of Interior.[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adversal-468×60″]