Two city officials in the lower Yukon River community of Pilot Station have been charged with felony election interference.
According to an indictment filed July 30, Pilot Station acting mayor Arthur Heckman Sr. and city clerk Ruthie Borromeo each face eight felony counts for alleged violations of state election laws in October 2022 and October 2023.
The charges include attempting to induce an election official to fail in their duties through force, threat, intimidation, or offers of reward; delaying the sending of required elections materials; intentionally failing to perform election duties; and tampering with election returns.
Heckman Sr. also faces an additional eight misdemeanor counts for allegedly soliciting the crimes outlined in the felony charges.
Further details of the alleged election interference have not been made publicly available by the state of Alaska.
The City of Pilot Station and the state Office of Special Prosecutions did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Heckman Sr. and Borromeo are scheduled to be arraigned in Bethel Superior Court on Aug. 20.
