Alaskan Bush People: All Times The Family Has Had Trouble With The Law

The Discovery Channel’s Alaskan Bush Peopleis a long-running show. The series follows the Brown family, made up of patriarch Billy, his wife Ami, and their seven children. The self-proclaimed “wolf pack” fascinated viewers with its very different way of life. Billy and Ami chose to raise their children in the Alaskan wilderness. The family had little to no contact with the outside world. Family members made their own society and even have their own dialect. The Brown children grew up battling nature’s elements instead of playing video games. Even when the family later moved to Washington State, they still continued living on a mountain, far away from civilization. Since the premiere in 2014, 12 seasons have aired. There is no sign of cancellation in the foreseeable future. While Alaskan Bush People is a success for the network, the show is not without its controversies.

There have already been numerous accusations that Alaskan Bush People is actually scripted and staged. These rumors have been around for years, practically since the beginning. The speculation got a boost when Raiven Adams, mother of Bear Brown’s son, stated that the show is almost entirely fake. For some fans, this statement confirmed that their suspicions were correct. However, others were skeptical of the claims due to Raiven Adam’s messy relationship with Bear Brown. In light of how successful the show still is, it appears that most viewers are able to overlook questions about whether or not it actually reflects the family’s reality. On a more serious note, another controversy is that the Brown family has had quite a few brushes with the law over the years. Multiple family members have run afoul of law enforcement, during the show’s run and decades before it aired.

Billy Brown’s History of Theft

Before he became a reality tv personality, patriarch Billy Brown already had a colorful past, including the time he was charged with horse theft. Radar Online revealed the past crime in 2015. The incident occurred in 1980, a year after Billy Brown married Ami when they were still living in their native state of Texas. According to a student traveling with them, the plan was to steal horses to get over the Mexican border. Billy entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to a year of probation.

Ami Brown’s Fraud

Like her husband of 41 years, Ami Brown had a bit of a checkered past before appearing on reality television. Specifically, she had a criminal history. She was charged with welfare fraud in the 1990s.

Claimed Authorities Burned Down Their House

In 2014, the Brown family suffered a major blow when its homestead burned down. Billy Brown said the crime was perpetrated by local authorities because the house was on public land. This wasn’t the only time they were left without a home. In Alaskan Bush People season 2, a houseboat they stayed on sank. In 2015, a bear caused significant damage.

Billy and Joshua “Bam Bam” Brown Served Jail Time

Over 30 years after being charged with horse theft, Billy once again found himself in hot water. This time,  most of the Brown family was implicated along with him. In 2015, Billy, Ami, and four of their seven children were charged with 60 counts of first-degree unsworn falsification and first and second-degree theft. Youngest daughter Rain Brown, who turned 18 this year, was too young to be charged. The family had falsified records saying they resided in Alaska from 2011-2013, when they actually did not. The fraud appeared to be a way of continuing to receive Alaska’s Permanent Fund Dividend. This fund provides oil revenue checks annually to Alaskan residents. These charges added to speculation about how real the show really is.

Ultimately, Billy and his son Joshua (also known as “Bam Bam”) entered guilty pleas. In 2016, they were sentenced to 30 days in prison (all of which they served), as well as 40 hours of community service. Because they pled guilty, charges against the other family members were dropped. Billy later tried to explain the fraud to People Magazine, saying: “Because of the way we live our lives and the way we often unconventionally travel, I didn’t keep good track of our movements.” Both father and son have since moved on from the legal predicament. “Bam Bam” briefly left the show when he began a relationship with a former producer, Allison. However, that wasn’t the last of the Browns’ run-ins with the law.

Allegations Against Matt Brown

Though most family members are still on the show, the Discovery Channel stopped following Matt Brown in 2018. Viewers were already aware that the eldest son had his troubles, including a head injury and a history of alcoholism. He was previously arrested for a DUI and attended rehab twice, in 2016 and 2018. Earlier this year, disturbing allegations against him were made public.

Matt Brown has been accused of sexual assault by two women, Jessica Jurges and Shelley Dawn Early. Both women had connections to the family. Jessica was a personal assistant to the Browns, while Shelley was Matt’s manager. The assaults allegedly took place in 2018, only days apart. Both assaults allegedly happened at the same location (a swimming pool in Canoga Park, Los Angeles). Shelley claimed that she actually helped Jessica escape by pulling Matt, who was intoxicated at the time, off of her. She also said he was extremely drunk when he raped her a few days later. Though both women reported their assaults to the police at the time, the Los Angeles County District Attorney chose not to prosecute. The decision not to press charges motivated the women to go public. In September 2020, The Sun reported the story. In light of the allegations coming out, Matt Brown stopped posting on social media.

Between the news about Matt, not to mention the pandemic, it has not been an easy time for the Alaskan Bush People cast. Making matters worse, a wildfire destroyed their property in Washington. However, the family members have insisted that they are sticking together through the hard times. They already have a history of enduring problems, such as Ami’s lung cancer battle. Despite their messy legal history, longtime viewers will keep tuning in to see the Browns’ very unique family dynamics, especially since there are now multiple Alaskan Bush People grandchildren. These grandkids are the wolf pack’s next generation.