MISSOULA — A Thompson Falls man accused of falsifying time and attendance records admitted to the charges on Monday.

U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced that Nathan J. Snead, 47, pleaded guilty to theft of government money. Snead faces ten years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.

Prosecutors alleged in court documents that Snead was required to work 40 hours of regular time per week, "and he was compensated for administratively uncontrollable overtime, which is premium pay designed to compensate law enforcement officers (LEOs) for irregular and unscheduled overtime duty," a news release states.

Snead's overtime rate was 15% in 2023, meaning he was required to justify an additional five to seven hours per week to maintain that percentage at his next overtime review.

The defendant documented his regular and overtime hours on his Time and Attendance Record for each pay period and signed the following certification: “I certify that the above information on hours worked and leave used is true and accurate.” The defendant also completed a record of overtime for each pay period in which he provided a case number and justification for the overtime and signed the following certification: “I certify that the official duties were performed as described above and were administratively uncontrollable.”

On May 2, 2023, based on information Snead was not working his claimed hours, agents installed a GPS tracker on his government-issued patrol vehicle to monitor his movements. The tracker data showed Snead’s patrol vehicle was stationary at his house during the hours he claimed to be working.

Prosecutors said on several occasions, Snead certified on his Time and Attendance Record that he worked an 8-hour regular shift. However, his patrol vehicle remained stationary at his house for the entire 8 hours. Additionally, Snead claimed overtime hours when his patrol vehicle was stationary at his house for much of his regular shift and for the entire time of claimed overtime.

Agents also evaluated Snead’s law enforcement statistics from 2021 through 2023. His productivity levels, measured via incident reports and the issuance of violation notices, were much lower than other similarly situated LEOs. The United States estimates Snead’s false time claims resulted in him stealing approximately $18,645.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen DeSoto presided. U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen will determine any sentence on Aug. 27, 2025. Snead was released with conditions pending further proceedings.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case which was investigated by the U.S. Forest Service.