Former Washoe County employee Justin Roper has been indicted for embezzling over $55,000 in federal grant funding

A former Washoe County employee Justin Roper who has been indicted for embezzling over $55,000 in federal grant funding was scheduled in court today.

“According to allegations contained in the indictment, the Department of Alternative Sentencing received approximately $1.3 million in grant funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, a component of the Justice Department. As alleged, from November 2024 to December 2024, Justin Roper embezzled $55,593.52 of federal grant funds,” a statement from the District of Nevada US Attorney’s Office indicated.

“Roper is charged with one count of federal program theft. If convicted at trial, Roper faces the maximum statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison.”

Our Town Reno reported in March 2025 that Roper had then resigned as Chief at the Washoe County Department of Alternative Sentencing, after previously being on unpaid leave due to the investigation.

Roper is also the business owner of the for profit Las Vegas based Sober Testing Services, which was opened in 2021 soon after he had started in his county leadership job, drawing repeated concern from Commissioner Mike Clark. His LinkedIn still marks himself as owner of Sober Testing Services.

The offices of the Department of Alternative Sentencing received millions in state and federal grants to provide drug and alcohol testing services. Its services were shifted to other existing county departments in October 2025 and then shut down completely in January. It previously managed misdemeanor probation, pretrial defendant supervision, and drug testing as a jail alternative.

“In December 2025, the Board of County Commissioners voted to dissolve the Department of Alternative Sentencing (DAS) and move its essential programs into other departments,” a county newsletter indicated.

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