Former Chamber treasurer indicted

BIG LAKE — The former treasurer for the Big Lake Chamber of Commerce faces grand jury charges potentially involving more than $35,000, court documents and chamber officials say.

Donna Turner, 56, of Big Lake, and former owner of wedding dress boutique Donna’s Corner, faces one count of first-degree theft for $25,000 or more, one count of scheme to defraud for $10,000 or more, and an additional count of falsifying business records, according to a grand jury indictment filed Friday in Superior Court at Palmer. The theft and scheme to defraud charges are Class B felonies. The falsifying business records charge is a Class C misdemeanor.

An out-of-custody arraignment is slated for this afternoon at 3:30 p.m., court documents show.

Chamber of commerce officials identified discrepancies in the chamber’s financial records about a year ago, according to chamber president Nancie Linley, who testified before the grand jury.

“When we identified some discrepancies in records, we instantly informed the authorities, and we’ve been cooperating with their investigation,” she said. “The charges that came about last week were our first knowledge that they had completed their investigation and had moved forward.”

The Big Lake Chamber of Commerce lists 111 area businesses in its membership directory. Membership ranges from $50 annual for an individual to $1,000 for a lifetime membership. Businesses pay $125 per year for membership, according to the chamber of commerce web site.

Turner — and Donna’s Corner, the business license for which is listed as inactive with the Alaska Department of Commerce — was still listed in the membership directory Monday afternoon.

Turner declined the opportunity for comment Monday.

Contact Brian O’Connor at 352-2269 or brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com.