An ex-California official quietly stole over $1.5 million of water in a heist that lasted decades, but mysteries remain

• An ex-California official pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal water from the federal government.
• Dennis Falaschi's plea represents only a fraction of the original $25 million believed by prosecutors to be stolen.
• The plea raises more questions about who was responsible and benefited from the decades-long heist.

A former California official pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal more than $1.5 million of water, but the decadeslong water heist case still has more questions than answers.