Conspiracy plea deepens mystery in long-running California water heist
The former general manager of a San Joaquin Valley water district, accused by federal prosecutors of carrying out one of the most audacious and long-running water heists in California history, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a version of the crime far more muted than what prosecutors had laid out in their original indictment. As part of a plea agreement negotiated with prosecutors, Dennis Falaschi, 78, former longtime head of the Panoche Water District, appeared in a Fresno federal courtroom and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to steal water from the government and one count of filing a false tax return. The plea deal is a jarring twist in a case that has captivated farmers in the San Joaquin Valley. In 2022, prosecutors accused Falaschi of masterminding the theft of more than $25 million worth of water out of a federal irrigation canal over the course of two decades and selling it to farmers and other water districts.
Related water theft articles:
- Associated Press: Former California water official pleads guilty to conspiring to steal water from irrigation canal
- SJV Sun: Former Panoche Water District manager enters guilty plea to stealing federal water
- KTLA – Los Angeles: California water board member who admitted to stealing $30K in water sentenced to jail