David Logan:
The Collapse and Rebuilding of Character
Biographical Background
Growing up, David Logan’s parents had high expectations for him. Ultimately, it was a desire to prove himself to his parents and others that drove Logan to be a high achiever, a successful businessman, and eventually, a criminal.
After graduating magna cum laude from Bemidji College, Logan took his first job as a probation agent in Kansas City. He returned to his home state of Minnesota when he received a job offer as a Volunteer Services Coordinator in Marshall. Logan’s path to success continued with a promotion to Director of Family Services in Pipestone County and in 1978, he became the City Administrator for the City of Pipestone, a position involving significant public trust. But in the 1980s, Logan began to violate that trust by taking bribes. He continued to receive bribes as a City Administrator for over ten years.
After resigning his position with the City in the fall of 1993, Logan invested in a hog business. He became the Chief Executive Officer and Administrator of that company, Global Ventures, Inc. As the CEO of a major corporate employer in his county, he later participated in unlawful banking practices involving his company and improper payments to a county environmental inspector. In 1998, one of Logan’s business partners, a bank owner, was removed and shortly thereafter, an attorney contacted Logan and advised him to obtain legal counsel. It went downhill for Logan from there.
Logan ultimately pled guilty to federal charges of conspiracy, misapplication of bank funds, bribery, and mail fraud. He was sentenced to 71 months imprisonment, $250,000 in extraordinary restitution, a $250,000 fine, and forfeiture of $250,000. As part of the extraordinary restitution, the Court ordered Logan to provide funds for two counties to pay for remedial environmental and regulatory programs.
Presentation by David Logan (and Hank Shea)
Logan, who served almost five years imprisonment in U.S. Bureau of Prisons custody and additional time in a work-release facility and home detention, now seeks to steer others down a different path by making educational presentations with Hank Shea, the former Assistant U.S. Attorney who prosecuted him. Logan wants to reach students and others ready to hear an unforgettable story of how missteps caused by greed and arrogance can turn into crimes and how redemption and healing can result from rediscovering faith and values.
A joint presentation between Shea and Logan is a dynamic event considering the highly adversarial nature of the legal proceedings that took place and the fact that Logan’s prison sentence was longer than those of most other white collar criminals. The interaction between Shea, the prosecutor, and Logan, the defendant, which includes mutual respect and professionalism, is, in itself, a lesson for law students and lawyers. It is a refreshing contrast to the incivility that has become too common in the legal profession and our society today.
Lessons to be Learned from Logan
Logan takes full responsibility for his actions, admitting that greed and arrogance — which are temptations for all of us — motivated his wrongdoing. According to Logan, a mindset of self-entitlement paved the way for his criminal acts. He explains: “This mindset began because I thought I had more coming to me for all the efforts I had made for the city and the fact that my efforts were making a lot of other people a lot of money and without what I had done they would not get what they were getting.”
Audiences take away valuable lessons about what Logan refers to as the “collapse of character” and the “rebuilding of character.” In addition, his observations about white collar criminals are insightful and intriguing. Logan says there is a common thread between while collar felons — they are all people who thought they were smarter than everyone else, people who thought they were above the law. Logan’s candid reflections teach students and professionals valuable lessons on ethics and his thought-provoking statements challenge the audience to think outside the box.
To schedule a presentation with Hank Shea and David Logan, please contact: hjshea@stthomas.edu.
