Employee Steals $4.4 Million from DWP … Gets a Virtual Pass on Punishment

NICE PAYDAY—The Daily News reports that former audio-visual technician for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was sentenced today to five years in state prison for embezzling more than $4 million in public funds.  

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James R. Dabney also ordered Thatcus Richard, 66, to pay $4.4 million in restitution.

There are those who think Richard came away with a great payday. Political insider and CityWatch writer-contributor, Brady Westwater, posted after the sentencing, “This employee of the City of LA has sold two pieces of land since he was convicted and yet did not repay one dime of the money he embezzled and he still gets his over $100,000 pension. None of it will be paid back. 

“And if you think he will serve anywhere near 5 years in prison you have no idea of how corrupt this city is.” 

There are those who think that the recently negotiated, and City Council approved, DWP labor contract was out of line … six raises in five years … is nothing compared to the thousands in pension dollars and millions in embezzlement income Richard has conned DWP Ratepayers out of. Estimates are that the total is something like $1 million a year for the former Water and Power employee. 

Feeling stupid yet?

(Ken Draper is the editor of CityWatch. He can be reached at [email protected]) 

-cw