Thursday May 30, 2024
Courthouse News Service via Maven’s Notebook —
A former California public water district manager pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday in connection with the theft of federally owned water.
Dennis Falaschi, 78, of Aptos, appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer Thurston, where he entered pleas on conspiring to take federally owned water and filing a false tax return.
Falaschi, formerly the general manager of a public water district in Fresno and Merced counties, faces a maximum of five years’ incarceration and $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charge, and three years in prison and $100,000 fine on the tax charge.
All remaining charges will be dropped.
The sentence is in the judge’s hands. However, prosecutors in Falaschi’s plea agreement stated that they will recommend the guideline range — a system used to determine a potential sentence in federal court — be dropped by up to 50%, if he provides significant assistance to the government.