A Fort Washakie man who worked as finance director for a health clinic for American Indians is accused of embezzling more than $26,000 from the clinic, which is punishable by up to a century in prison.
Logan James Savage, 43, is set for arraignment Thursday in the U.S. District Court for Wyoming.
A grand jury on Sept. 20 indicted Savage on claims that he used the Wind River Family and Community Health Care clinic’s business credit card to buy himself furniture, guns and groceries, totaling about $26,491.
Savage was the finance director for the clinic, which the locals call “Wind River Cares.” It is based on the Wind River Indian Reservation and provides care through the federal Indian Health Service.
Wind River Cares gave credit cards to certain employees for business expenses, says the indictment.
“Company policy explicitly states that the credit cards may not be used for expenses of a personal nature,” it reads.
The company gave Savage a Mastercard through First Interstate Bank.
From Oct. 1, 2022, through March 31 of this year, Savage “devise(d) a scheme” to defraud Wind River Cares by spending its money on personal items, the indictment says. Savage allegedly tried to hide his purchases by failing to hand over receipts.
He directed other Wind River Cares employees to issue payments toward his own outstanding company credit card balances, using more Wind River Cares money, the indictment claims.
The document says Savage then did not cover the spent funds with his own money.
These Charges, This Century
The indictment lists six criminal counts against Savage: five accusing him of unlawful wire transfers and a sixth accusing him of embezzling from an Indian organization.
The charges claim that Savage:
Used the company credit card to buy $4,491 in furniture and goods from Denver Mattress Co. in Casper, Wyoming;
Spent $3,203.95 on the card at Kusel’s Furniture and Appliances in Riverton, Wyoming;
Used the card to buy $4,433.07 on firearms and other goods at Murdoch’s Ranch and Home Supply in Riverton;
Spent $7,514.72 on furniture and other goods from Sutherlands in Riverton using the company card;
Spent $6,848.25 on groceries and other goods from Walmart stores in Riverton, Casper and Lakewood, Colorado;
And embezzled from an Indian tribal organization.
The five counts of wire fraud each carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. The charge of embezzling from an Indian organization carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines.
If convicted on all counts and given consecutive sentences, Logan could face up to 105 years in prison and $1.25 million in fines.
The Earlier Case
Savage stood before the U.S. District Court for Wyoming before. In April, a jury indicted him on one count of assault, for allegedly pistol-whipping another man.
At Savage’s arraignment on that charge, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Elmore related that Savage allegedly entered a man’s home, punched the man with his fist, forced the victim to kiss the pistol then threatened to kill the victim if he ever assaulted his father again or told law enforcement.
That case is ongoing.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
