Former official admitted crimes, documents say

RENO -- A former Washoe County water engineer accused of embezzling more than $2 million from the county water division and gambling more than $1 million at a local casino admitted to the crimes in a letter to his family, according to court documents.

Paul Orphan, 54, remains at large on multiple counts of grand theft involving $2.2 million. But authorities say total losses could reach $6.4 million.

In a letter sent May 29 from Boise, Idaho, Orphan threatened suicide and said his family would never see him again, said an affidavit obtained by the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Orphan apologized to his family and said his gambling "snowballed into the crimes alleged."

The letter was sent one day after he ignored a sheriff investigator's request for an interview and about one week after an arrest warrant was issued for him.

The family, which told detectives that Orphan carries two firearms in his car, issued a written statement Friday.

"On behalf of the family of Paul Orphan, we are all deeply concerned about his whereabouts and well being," the statement said. "As we have had no contact with him, we urge him to return home. We have and will continue to fully cooperate with authorities to locate Paul and bring him home safely."

Orphan is accused of forming two bogus companies to sell county water well capacity rights he did not own. The money came from the water utility enterprise fund where water bill payments from 18,000 ratepayers and developer fees are deposited.

Authorities allege Orphan "hijacked" the identities of his supervisors to approve bogus transactions, and that he gambled at least $1.1 million at the Sparks Nugget during a recent 12-month period.