2 ex Buena Park officials plead guilty to embezzlement

Two former Buena Park officials who worked in the city parks and recreation department have pleaded guilty to embezzling $1.3 million from the Southern California city.

The Orange County Register reported Saturday that the former parks and recreation chief, Rudolph Juarez, was sentenced to 10 years in state prison on Friday and former parks supervisor, Gabriel Garcia, was sentenced to six years in prison.

Prosecutors say among the schemes, Juarez reduced the hours of employees but kept them on the books as full time. Authorities say he also used the name of family members to hire phony employees and get their paychecks sent to bank accounts he controlled.

Prosecutor Marc Labreche says the schemes went on for two decades, though the charges cover the period between 2005 and 2011.