A former law enforcement officer with the U.S. Forest Service in Thompson Falls has been sentenced to five years of probation after admitting to falsifying time and attendance records. Nathan J. Snead, 48, was also ordered to pay $13,923.77 in restitution.
Snead pleaded guilty in April 2025 to theft of government money. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen.
According to court documents, Snead was required to work 40 hours of regular time per week and received additional compensation for administratively uncontrollable overtime, which is meant for law enforcement officers who perform irregular and unscheduled overtime duties.
Snead recorded his hours on Time and Attendance Records each pay period, certifying that “I certify that the above information on hours worked, and leave used is true and accurate.” For overtime hours, he completed separate records providing a case number and justification, signing a certification stating: “I certify that the official duties were performed as described above and were administratively uncontrollable.”
Authorities began investigating after receiving information suggesting Snead was not working the hours he claimed. On May 2, 2023, agents placed a GPS tracker on his government-issued patrol vehicle to monitor his movements. Data from the tracker indicated that Snead’s patrol vehicle remained stationary at his residence during times he reported being on duty.
Investigators found multiple instances where Snead certified an eight-hour shift while his vehicle did not move from his house during those hours. He also claimed overtime when the patrol vehicle was stationary at home for much or all of both regular shifts and overtime periods.
In addition to tracking vehicle movements, agents reviewed Snead’s work statistics from 2021 through 2023. His incident reports and violation notices were significantly lower than other law enforcement officers with similar roles.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Clarke prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Forest Service’s Law Enforcement and Investigations Office of Professional Responsibility.
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