A grand jury indicted a former Juneau Assembly candidate on felony charges related to alleged Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend fraud.
Indicted May 24, Loretto Lee Jones, 63, is charged with first-degree unsworn falsification and second-degree theft.
According to the indictment, Jones allegedly lived and worked in Oregon from January 2015 to December 2016. Investigators determined Jones was absent from Alaska for approximately 260 days in 2015.
On her PFD application that she filed in January 2016, Jones answered “No” to questions about being absent from Alaska for more than 90 or 180 days.
Jones later collected on a $1,022 dividend that was directly deposited into her bank account.
Jones was initially charged in the case in February and appeared in Juneau District Court in March.
The indictment automatically elevates her case to Juneau Superior Court.
Arraignment is scheduled for May 31.
Electronic court documents indicate Jones is currently unrepresented by an attorney. Her previous attorney withdrew from the case. When reached for comment, Jones said she would have plenty to say after the trial.
Jones picked up the fewest votes in a three-way race for the Assembly District 1 seat in October 2017.
(Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include Jones’ comment.)
