WENATCHEE, Wash. — A former health care executive in North Central Washington has pleaded guilty to wire fraud after prosecutors say he siphoned tens of millions of dollars from his company over several years to fund risky investments and personal purchases.
Patrick Alan Bucknum, 55, formerly of Wenatchee, pleaded guilty June 24, 2026, in the Eastern District of Washington to one count of wire fraud, United States Attorney Pete Serrano said.
Bucknum was the chief executive officer of Community Clinic Network, a Wenatchee-based company that managed health care payment contracts for a conglomerate of health care clinics across Washington, according to court documents.
Prosecutors say that beginning in April 2017, Bucknum devised a scheme to take money from CCN’s business bank accounts and attempted to invest it in stocks, options, and exchange-traded funds.
Court documents say Bucknum…
This type of fraud targets the supply chain and accounts payable departments of businesses.
- Invoice Manipulation: Criminals intercept a legitimate invoice between a supplier and a client and change the banking details to their own. The client pays the bill thinking they are paying their trusted vendor.
- Kickbacks and Bribery: A vendor secretly pays an employee of the purchasing company to ensure their bid is successful or to overlook inflated pricing.