TWO ANCHORAGE WOMEN INDICTED BY FEDERAL GRAND JURY FOR FRAUD

Anchorage, Alaska – United States Attorney Nelson P. Cohen announced today, April 17, 2008, that two residents of Anchorage, Alaska, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Anchorage, Alaska, on wire fraud charges.

A four-count indictment charges Tina Marie Hughes, age 50, with diverting over $180,000 from her employer, NC Machinery, to her personal account by means of wire fraud. In a separate two-count indictment, Genevieve Talainamoni Auelua, age 31, is charged with diverting over $20,000 from her employer, NC Machinery, to her personal account by means of wire fraud.

According to the indictments, the defendants were credit specialists with NC Machinery when they each, and separately, diverted funds from their employer’s account to their personal accounts using a credit card terminal located at NC Machinery that was serviced by a company outside of Alaska.

Assistant United States Attorney Andrea T. Steward, who presented the cases to the grand jury, indicated that wire fraud carries a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both, per count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.

The Anchorage Police Department, working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, conducted the investigation leading to these indictments.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.