‘Alaskan Bush People:’ Billy And Josh Brown Serving Time On Ankle Monitors

Billy Brown and Joshua “Bam Bam” Brown of Alaskan Bush People will serve their jail time on ankle monitors, according to a report from Alaska Dispatch News. The site states that an Alaska Department of Corrections spokesman said on Monday that the two reported for their 30-day sentence on Wednesday of last week.

In January of this year, the two Alaskan Bush People family members pled guilty to one count each of misdemeanor second-degree unsworn falsification related to false information they provided in order to receive oil dividend checks from the state of Alaska. Charges had been brought against other members of the Alaskan Bush People clan, but those charges were dropped in exchange for Billy and Josh’s guilty pleas.

While serving time on home incarceration, the Alaskan Bush People stars must do two things on at least a weekly basis. The first is to report to a probation officer in Juneau, and the second is to provide urine samples. Like anyone else who wants to serve a sentence on home incarceration, the Alaskan Bush People father and son had to apply for acceptance into the program. In order to qualify, individuals must meet certain criteria, including the absence of either weapons or alcohol in their homes. There are other qualifications, like a functioning landline and the absence of any sex offender convictions that are used to identify someone as a low-risk, and thus appropriate for home incarceration.

https://www.facebook.com/akdispatch/posts/1135609749794976

Alaskan Bush People is scheduled to return to Discovery Channel in May. Billy and Josh began their 30-day sentence on April 15. Filming for the new season of Alaskan Bush People was complete before the two began serving their sentence, so fans will not get to see anything related to their home incarceration.

People recently reported that Discovery Channel had released a statement regarding the content of the new season of Alaskan Bush People.

“After traveling to ‘the lower 48’ to seek medical treatment for Bill at the end of season 3, the Brown Family starts season 4 continuing to rebuild their family property – which they call Browntown.”

The statement refers to a shadow cast on what should be a joyful return from Billy’s medical treatment.

“However, a dark cloud is casting a shadow over what should be a happy homecoming to the freedom of the bush.”

The dark cloud is presumably the knowledge that two members of the Alaskan Bush People family would soon have to begin serving jail time. Perhaps the cloud is not quite as dark given that the two will at least be at home serving their sentences instead of far away in a jail cell.

https://www.facebook.com/alaskanbushppl/photos/a.839519112729061.1073741828.839410146073291/1283654234982211/?type=3&theater

The two members of the Alaskan Bush People family got into legal trouble because they falsified information on their applications to receive the dividends. The state of Alaska has requirements regarding the amount of time one must reside in Alaska in order to be eligible for the payments. Billy and Josh, and others in the Alaskan Bush People family, indicated that they lived in Alaska longer they really did.

In addition to jail time, the Alaskan Bush People father and son must repay the money they received under false pretenses and pay some fines. The total amount of dividends that 63-year-old patriarch Billy Brown must repay is nearly $8,000. He must also pay a $10,000 fine. Josh Brown has to repay nearly $1,200 in dividends along with a $2,000 fine. Neither may apply for the dividend ever again. The last element of the sentence for the Alaskan Bush People stars is 40 hours of community service. There have been no reports to date of the status of either the payments or the community service.

[Photo courtesy of Discovery Channel]