Roland Maw, a Kenai Peninsula commercial fishing advocate, was charged with falsifying his Alaska residency on Wednesday.
Maw is facing up to 17 charges. Of those, 12 carry a class C felony designation, for unsworn falsification and theft with value between $750-$24,999, related to falsifying records to apply for the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend. A class C felony is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.
The remaining five carry a class A misdemeanor designation, which is punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $10,000. He is charged with misdemeanors for unsworn falsification, related to falsifying other forms, according to online court records.
The charges date back as early as 2008, with the most recent occurring in October 2014. Charges were filed in district court in Juneau.
The Montana Department of Fish and Wildlife opened an investigation into Maw’s residency in February 2015 after he was found to be holding resident licenses in Montana while still drawing the benefits of Alaska residency. The investigation was announced while Maw was a candidate for a seat on the Alaska Board of Fisheries. Maw withdrew his name from consideration amid media and Legislature scrutiny.
Maw is also charged with up to seven misdemeanors in Montana, carrying both fines and jail time.
— Elizabeth Earl
