A former audio-visual technician for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was sentenced today to five years in state prison for misappropriating more than $4 million in public funds, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced.

Thatcus Carl Richard, 66, was remanded into custody after being sentenced by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James Dabney. Richard also was ordered to pay $4.4 million in restitution to DWP.

In March, Richard 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 helped award DWP contracts to them.

In return, the companies would then subcontract the work to Richard, who used DWP's own equipment and resources to perform the work.

Case BA433122 was investigated by the District Attorney's Bureau of Investigation.

Los Angeles County District Attorney / Case BA433122 / June 20, 2017