Yesterday, two "Alaskan Bush People" stars, Billy and Joshua "Bam" Brown, pled guilty to Permanent Fund Dividend fraud, according to the Juneau Empire newspaper. The Brown patriarch and his son will serve 30 days in jail for pleading guilty to the misdemeanor. In addition to the 30 days in jail, the two will also have to pay back thousands of dollars in restitution and serve 40 hours of community service.
Originally, the father of the family had been charged with 24 counts while his son faced six counts. Four other members of the Brown family were also charged, but the plea deal Billy and Joshua took called for those charges to be dismissed, according to CNN. The plea deal that was submitted in November included Billy admitting that he "stole $7,956 from the people of Alaska" after he and Joshua claimed that they lived in Alaska from 2009 to 2012, despite actually lived in Seattle during that time.
"Alaska's dividend program has specific requirements for the length of time in the state, and the reasons for being out of Alaska. Because of the way we live our lives and the way we often unconventionally travel, I didn't keep good track of our movements," Billy told People in a statement. "I accept full responsibility for filing for benefits without confirming that we met the requirements. We are committed to living in Alaska for the long term and we respect the state's rules. I thought it best to settle to put this behind us."
The state of Alaska divides up oil dividend payments equally among its residents. The judge in the case estimated that the Brown family deprived the citizens of Alaska three cents each because of unnecessary payments to the family.
The show "Alaskan Bush People" airs on the Discovery Channel and follows the Brown family, who are so far removed from civilization that they often go six to nine months of the year without seeing another human.
