Cruise Passenger Arrested for Embezzlement in Alaska
One woman attempting to enjoy a summer cruise in Alaska was arrested as she attempted to board her cruise ship in Ketchikan on June 12, 2025.
Turns out the woman was wanted in Wyoming for allegedly embezzling money from a local church in Laramie County.
As the crow flies, Laramie is more than 1,500 miles away from Ketchikan, but with local sheriff offices sharing warrants digitally these days, 64-year-old Karen Bryan was flagged by authorities for having an outstanding warrant.
She was arrested on the spot, and is awaiting extradition.
The news has gone viral due to a Facebook post made by Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak, who explained the coordinated efforts between law enforcement agencies in Alaska and Wyoming.
In his statement, Kozak said, “Our deputies are responsible for picking up wanted fugitives throughout the United States. There was one person who was wanted her locally for allegedly embezzling thousands of dollars from a church.”
“She was contacted by law enforcement in Alaska as she was boarding a cruise ship, and has been arrested,” he continued.
Kozak noted the extradition process is underway, and added that “our deputies are currently fighting over who is going to get to go to Alaska to extradite her back here to Laramie County.”
The cruise line and ship Bryan was boarding were not identified by the sheriff’s office, but the port was very busy on June 12, welcoming five massive cruise ships during the height of Alaska’s busy cruise season, which is expected to have 298 sailings in 2025.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Bliss had arrived at 6 a.m. local time with up to 4,004 passengers during a 7-night roundtrip voyage from Seattle, while Princess Cruises’ Royal Princess had pulled in at 7 a.m. during its own 7-night roundtrip from Seattle.
That ship’s double capacity maxes out at 3,560 guests – bigger than the 2,670 passengers aboard the cruise line’s Sapphire Princess, which was also enjoying its last day in Alaska on a 7-night one-way segment sailing to Vancouver.
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It arrived in Ketchikan at 10 a.m., just before Holland America Line’s Konsingdam did the same. The ship sailed in at 11 a.m. with up to 2,560 guests.
It’s sister ship, the 2,104-passenger Eurodam, was also in port, arriving at 6:30 a.m. on its own 7-night roundtrip Seattle cruise.
Despite the crowds of passengers in the area, local sheriffs were able to discover Bryan and make the arrest.
No Escape for Fugitives
Cruise ports are among the busiest in North America, but alongside the flurry of disembarking guests and shore excursion guides, it’s not uncommon for local law enforcement to scan for wanted individuals.
Cruise terminals are legally considered ports of entry, even for US-based cruises, giving authorities to conduct background checks through routine ID verification or when passengers trigger watchlist alerts.
Recently, authorities in Florida arrested a Kentucky man in PortMiami who was wanted for more than $100,000 in back child support in December 2024.
In fact, Houston media reported recently that the Federal Bureau of Investigators’ Texas City office has a dedicated special agent for cruises.
The FBI told reporters it arrests someone from nearly every cruise in Galveston based on outstanding warrants and sites the use of facial-recognition technology for the ability to quickly screen passengers.
It’s more common than you’d think, with records showing arrests made in Baltimore, Jacksonville, and numerous cruise ports across the US.