U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref | U.S. Department of Justice
On December 19, 2024, United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Luke Michael Servas to 51 months in prison for embezzling over $277,000 from the Town of Cusick. Servas, aged 38 and a resident of Cusick, Washington, was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release and pay restitution amounting to $282,208.18.
The court documents reveal that between October 2022 and March 2023, while serving as both the Town Clerk and a member of the Town Council in Cusick, Servas misappropriated town funds by transferring them into accounts he controlled along with his spouse.
Concerns arose in March 2023 when town officials noticed a significant depletion in the town's operating account. During subsequent investigations, it was disclosed that Servas falsely implicated the elected mayor of Cusick and attempted to erase computer systems to cover up his actions and divert more funds.
U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref remarked on the situation: “Mr. Servas used his elected position of trust to financially devastate a small community.” She commended the FBI and the Washington State Auditor’s Office for their role in uncovering the fraud and acknowledged the efforts by Cusick's officials in rebuilding trust and financial stability.
W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office, commented on the severity 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 public corruption is a priority for the FBI.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Spokane Resident Agency, with support from Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office and Washington State Auditor’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Fruchter.
