(SitNews) Anchorage, Alaska – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Feldis announced this week that an Emmonak woman was sentenced in federal court in Anchorage to 12 months in prison for her conviction of stealing money from a tribal organization and ordered to pay restitution for the total amount stolen. Blanket was ordered to serve three years of supervised release after her prison term.

On September 9, 2011, Kathleen Blanket (now with a married name of Kathleen Lamont), 45, of Emmonak, Alaska, was sentenced by United States District Judge Timothy M. Burgess.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Aunnie Steward, who prosecuted the case, the following facts provided the basis for Blanket’s guilty plea: Blanket was the Tribal Administrator for the Chuloonawick Native Village (CNV) from 2004 to 2007, a tribal organization located in Emmonak, Alaska.

During the course of Blanket’s employment with CNV, she stole approximately $100,000 using two methods:

• 1) receiving payments purporting to be payroll advances that were never repaid; and
• 2) using the CNV credit card for cash withdrawals and personal expenses.

Information was presented at sentencing indicating that much of the money stolen was used by Blanket for gambling.

The bookkeeper working with Blanket, Stella Kameroff, was previously convicted of stealing approximately $22,000, during the same time frame and was sentenced to five years probation and four months of home confinement and ordered to pay restitution.

Feldis commended the Department of Interior, Office of Inspector General for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Kameroff and Blanket.

Source of News: 

U.S. Dept. of Justice - District of Alaska
www.justice.gov

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