A former Columbia Valley Community Health executive has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $24 million from a network that managed Medicaid-funded clinics, admitting he used the money for risky stock trades and luxury purchases.
Former CEO Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud
55-year-old Patrick Alan Bucknum pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Spokane to one count of wire fraud. Bucknum served as CEO of Columbia Valley Community Health from 2010 to 2016 before becoming CEO of Community Clinic Network (CCN), which is owned by four Medicaid-funded clinics, including CVCH.
The organization manages contracts and payments for 11 clinics throughout the region.
Federal prosecutors said Bucknum controlled CCN’s finances and had the authority to write checks and initiate wire transfers from the organization’s accounts.
Prosecutors Detailed Years-Long Embezzlement Scheme
According to court documents, Bucknum began diverting money from CCN’s main checking account into his personal investment account in April 2017. Between 2017 and 2023, prosecutors said he embezzled nearly $30.4 million from CCN…