Walter W Bill Knitz

The Santa Margarita Water District Board of Directors said Thursday that the paid administrative leave it has provided to its suspended top two managers will end May 24. General Manager Walter W. (Bill) Knitz and his deputy, Michael P. Lord, were suspended with pay last month after The Times revealed that the men had accepted nearly $60,000 in gifts from contractors and spent district funds on limousine rides, room service and theater tickets.

Closing out a scandal that prompted an overhaul of the Santa Margarita Water District, the district's former second-in-command pleaded guilty Thursday to criminal charges that he illegally influenced the award of contracts to companies that lavished him with gifts. The guilty pleas by Michael P. Lord, the assistant general manager for nearly 16 years until his retirement in 1993, end a criminal investigation that began at the district exactly 15 months ago.

Federal and state prosecutors officially announced Tuesday they have formed a joint task force to investigate the Santa Margarita Water District, noting that similar teams have been successfully used in high-profile investigations such as the one involving Lincoln Savings & Loan. In a public announcement, the two agencies took the unusual step of pointing out four highly visible investigations they pursued jointly: Lincoln Savings, the W.

Walter W. (Bill) Knitz, former general manager of the Santa Margarita Water District whose use of public funds for self-described "perks" enraged ratepayers and ultimately cost him his job, pleaded guilty to criminal conflict-of-interest charges Monday and agreed to reimburse the district $20,000 for a portion of his excessive expenses.

FBI agents said Tuesday that they are conducting an inquiry into possible criminal wrongdoing at the Santa Margarita Water District, where the top two managers have received more than $46,000 in gifts from companies that have been awarded lucrative contracts. Agents said they will examine whether general manager Walter W. (Bill) Knitz and his deputy, Michael P.

The Santa Margarita Water District's board of directors placed its two top managers on paid leave Friday in response to disclosures of excessive spending and gift-taking that are now the subject of investigation by state and federal authorities. Walter W. (Bill) Knitz, the district's general manager for 17 years, and Michael P. Lord, his longtime assistant, will continue to collect their salaries and benefits but will lose their leased district cars.

If you live in South County and pay your water bills to the Santa Margarita Water District, just think of this as the hotel bill you paid three times. The $340.67 bill was claimed twice on expense accounts of the district's assistant general manager, and once by his boss, who had approved reimbursement for the bill to his subordinate, before also claiming reimbursement for himself. The total paid out to Walter W. (Bill) Knitz, the general manager, and his deputy, Michael P. Lord, came to $1,022.

The suspended general manager of the scandal-plagued Santa Margarita Water District announced his sudden retirement Wednesday, less than two months after disclosures of excessive spending surfaced. In a letter addressed to the district's chairman, Walter W. (Bill) Knitz said that he would continue to "vigorously refute the accusations against me by the press," but that it would be impossible for him to continue to provide "the leadership the district must have to serve the public."

Each year, Don Greek sends out a general invitation asking hunting enthusiasts to join him for a few days of bagging elk or deer in Colorado or javelina in Arizona. One particular year, Greek, who owns a local civil engineering firm, asked an old college classmate, Walter W. (Bill) Knitz, if he'd like to go on one of the trips.

The Santa Margarita Water District's Board of Directors placed its two top managers on paid leave Friday in response to disclosures of excessive spending and gift-taking that are now the subject of investigation by state and federal authorities. Walter W. (Bill) Knitz, the district's general manager for 17 years, and Michael P. Lord, his longtime assistant, will continue to collect their salaries and benefits but will lose their leased district cars.

The former general manager of the Santa Margarita Water District, who faces criminal conflict-of-interest charges for taking gifts from district contractors, has been working with the company trying to buy the district and its assets. The president of the California-American Water Co. of Chula Vista confirmed Monday that Walter W. (Bill) Knitz was hired as a consultant by the private firm that recently announced it was seeking to purchase the district for more than $300 million. Ted Jones Jr.

Long before criminal charges were contemplated against Santa Margarita Water District officials, significant change had already taken place to guard against abuse, including a strict code of conduct, a nearly total ban on gifts and a new selection process for consultants.

One year after scandal shook the Santa Margarita Water District out of obscurity, prosecutors charged two former top managers Monday with illegally taking thousands of dollars in gifts from companies that relied on their help in securing government contracts. The Orange County district attorney's office brought a total of 38 misdemeanor charges against Walter W. (Bill) Knitz, 62, the former general manager of the district, and Michael P.

A year after scandal shook the Santa Margarita Water District out of obscurity, prosecutors charged two former top managers Monday with illegally taking thousands of dollars in gifts from companies that relied on their help in securing government contracts. The Orange County district attorney's office brought a total of 38 misdemeanor charges against Walter W. (Bill) Knitz, 62, former general manager of the district, and Michael P.

The top two managers of the Santa Margarita Water District retired Monday in the midst of multiple criminal investigations, officially ending district careers that began in the late-1970s and spanned almost two decades of booming South County development. The district's board of directors officially accepted the retirements of General Manager Walter W. (Bill) Knitz and his assistant, Michael P.

The suspended general manager of the scandal-plagued Santa Margarita Water District announced his sudden retirement Wednesday, less than two months after disclosures of excessive spending surfaced. In a letter addressed to the district's chairman, Walter W. (Bill) Knitz said that he would continue to "vigorously refute the accusations against me by the press," but that it would be impossible for him to continue to provide "the leadership the district must have to serve the public."

The suspended general manager of the Santa Margarita Water District, who is under criminal investigation for possible conflict-of-interest law violations, announced his sudden retirement Wednesday, less than two months after public disclosure of his lavish expense accounts and gift-taking from district contractors. In a letter to the district's board, General Manager Walter W.

One year after scandal shook the Santa Margarita Water District out of obscurity, prosecutors charged two former top managers Monday with illegally taking thousands of dollars in gifts from companies that relied on their help in securing government contracts. The Orange County district attorney's office brought a total of 38 misdemeanor charges against Walter W. (Bill) Knitz, 62, the former general manager of the district, and Michael P.

The suspended general manager of the Santa Margarita Water District, who is under criminal investigation for possible conflict-of-interest law violations, announced his sudden retirement Wednesday, less than two months after public disclosure of his lavish expense accounts and gift-taking from district contractors. In a letter to the district's board, General Manager Walter W.

The son of Mission Viejo Co. President James Gilleran was treated like a VIP at the Santa Margarita Water District and wasn't subject to ordinary shut-off provisions when he didn't pay his water bill, according to documents obtained by The Times. Billing records and an internal district memorandum indicate that Michael P. Lord, assistant general manager who is now suspended, ordered the district's customer service representatives not to turn off the service of James E.