Former Adams County construction manager Samuel Vidal Gomez was sentenced to four years in prison on July 19 for his involvement in the Quality Paving and Quality Resurfacing public-works scandal that cost Adams County taxpayers nearly $1.8 million.

District Court Chief Judge C. Vincent Phelps Jr. said Gomez must serve his four-year sentence concurrently and serve five years of parole following his release from prison. Phelps also granted Gomez a 30-day stay of execution on a motion from his defense team to sort his affairs and prepare for an appeal. Gomez must turn himself in by Aug. 18.

As part of a plea bargain reached April 24, Gomez pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and agreed to pay restitution not to exceed $150,000. The restitution amount could not be settled during Gomez’s sentencing, so Phelps said a hearing may be scheduled if the Adams County District Attorney’s Office and Gomez’s defense team cannot reach an agreement by Aug. 18.

During his sentencing, Gomez chose not to testify.

Before Gomez was sentenced, defense attorney Joseph Saint-Veltri said Gomez’s respectable military service record — including two Purple Hearts awarded during his Vietnam War combat tour — is a reflection of his character. He said Gomez also suffers from severe post-traumatic-stress disorder and went along with the public-works scheme because he was afraid of losing his job, pay and reputation.

Adams County attorney Jennifer Waschak, serving as a witness, said the $250,000 lost to Quality Paving and Quality Resurfacing was significant but said Gomez’s actions as a public servant severely impacted the integrity and reputation of the county’s 1,800 employees.

“The loss to the county was not just monetary,” Waschak said. “We can’t have 250,000 citizens come up here and explain the loss has had on them, but to me … the loss of the public confidence is significant, and I don’t think that can be understated.”