RENO " A former Washoe County water engineer who pleaded guilty to embezzling agency funds to finance his gambling addiction was sentenced today to 30 years in prison.
Paul Orphan, 54, must serve 12 years before being eligible for parole under the sentence handed down by District Judge Steven Kosach.
The judge also ordered Orphan to pay $2.2 million in restitution.
Orphan pleaded guilty in August to five counts of grand theft.
He was arrested in June after three weeks on the run during an investigation.
Authorities said Orphan set up two fake companies and produced phony paperwork saying there were agreements to sell well capacity rights to the county that didn't exist.
According to prosecutors, Orphan, who had authority under his position at the Water Resources Division to approve such transactions, would then approve checks less than $25,000 from the county to the companies, and deposit the money into the companies' accounts.
He'd then transfer the money into his personal account.