Prosecutors have charged three people for fraudulent collection of Alaska Permanent Fund dividends.
Kenneth Wilson Comfort II, 49, was indicted by a Juneau grand jury on Friday on charges of unsworn falsification and second degree attempted theft. Both of the charges are felonies and specifically focus on Comfort’s alleged untruthful disclosure of his absences on his 2011 PFD application. Comfort’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 8.
Also indicted on Friday were Slimane Benarroudj, 50, and Kheira Benarroudj, 37, on a total of eleven felony counts of unsworn falsification, scheme to defraud, theft, and attempted theft. The indictment alleges that the Benarroudjs made false statements on dividend applications for themselves and their four children dating back to 2008. The amount allegedly stolen was at over $41,000, including the Alaska Energy Rebates that were distributed during one year. Warrants in the amount of $50,000 and $10,000 were issued for each of the Benarroudjs.
Based on electronic court records, both Comfort and the Benarroudjs had recently resided in the Anchorage area.