A former audio-visual technician for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power pleaded no contest last week, to more than two dozen felony counts for misappropriating more than $4 million in public funds, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Thatcus Carl Richard, 65, of Moreno Valley, entered an open plea to nine counts each of conflict of interest, public officer crime and embezzlement by a public officer.
Deputy District Attorneys Susan Ser and Russell Moore of the Public Integrity Division prosecuted the case.
Between July 1995 and March 2014, Richard enlisted friends to establish audio-visual companies and then he helped award DWP contracts to them.
In return, these companies would then subcontract the work to Richard, who used the DWP’s own equipment and resources to perform the work.
Richard faces up to 14 years in state prison when he is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20.
Case BA433122 was investigated by the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation.
