United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice has sentenced Luke Michael Servas, a former town clerk and council member from Cusick, Washington, to 51 months in prison for embezzling over $277,000 from the town. The sentencing took place on December 19, 2024. In addition to the prison term, Judge Rice ordered five years of supervised release and restitution amounting to $282,208.18.
The court documents reveal that between October 2022 and March 2023, Servas transferred funds to accounts controlled by him and his spouse while serving as a Town Clerk and Town Council member in Cusick. By March 2023, the town's officials raised concerns about the depleted state of the town’s operating account.
During court proceedings, it was disclosed that Servas attempted to mislead law enforcement by implicating Cusick's elected mayor and tried to delete computer systems to cover up his fraudulent activities.
"Mr. Servas used his elected position of trust to financially devastate a small community," said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. She praised the efforts of the FBI and the Washington State Auditor’s Office in uncovering the fraud and commended Cusick for beginning the process of rebuilding its finances and public trust.
W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office, remarked on the impact of Servas' actions: "The amount of money stolen by Mr. Servas could have a massive impact on a town the size of Cusick." He emphasized that combating public corruption is a priority for the FBI.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Spokane Resident Agency with assistance from Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office and Washington State Auditor’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Dan Fruchter prosecuted the case.