It was announced in Anchorage yesterday that the former president of the Native Village of Tatitlek, Lori Clum, formerly Lori "Sue" Johnson, was arrested for Theft of Funds from the Tribal organization.

45-year-old Johnson/Clum was arrested Wednesday on allegations that she misapplied over $200,000 in funds from the village of Tatitlek between 2008 and 2009. $20,000 of which she allegedly provided to her brother.

On March 21st, 2013, Clum was named in a four-count indictment along with her brother 47-year-old Valdez resident James Kramer. Clum was indicted on three counts of Theft from a Indian Tribal Organization and her brother was named in one count of of the same charge.

According to the indictment, Johnson/Clum was voted out of her position of President of the Native Village of Tatitlek in April of 2008, but refused to acknowlege the election that ousted her from her position. She would keep control over the village bank accounts until 2009.

It was during that time, the indictment claims, that Clum “paid herself duplicate paychecks, took significant cash withdrawals, and wrote checks to herself totaling over $200,000. This amount included a $28,750 cash withdrawal she deposited into her personal bank account; a check for $19,500 that she wrote to herself and deposited into her personal bank account; and a $20,000 cash withdrawal that she gave to her brother James Kramer that he used for personal expenses.”

Tatitlek earlier won a case against Johnson/Clum in which Johnson/Clum was ordered to pay back $150,000 to the village. In that protracted civil case, the village calimed that Johnson/Clum defrauded the community’s coffers of roughly $600,000. In the time since then, the village has collected only about $4,000 of that ordered repayment.

In January of this year, Johnson/Clum was arrested and later indicted on 21 counts of bootlegging alcohol in a dry village, drug misconduct, intent to sell drugs and weapons charges. Five of the weapons charges are for a felon in possession of a firearm. This arrest was similar to one in 2009, where she was arrested and charged with drug possession when trying to fly back to Tatitlek.

The community of Tatitlek is located near the entrance to the Valdez Arm in Prince William Sound 25 miles southeat of Valdez. The village has a population of roughly 100 people, most of which are Alaska Natives.

Most of the funding for the village comes from the EPA, BIA, and the Department of Health and Human Services.