SANTA ANA – A former Orange County sheriff’s deputy was sentenced to 32 months in prison Friday for multiple felonies, including driving under the influence of prescription drugs and injuring a 78-year-old woman in an off-duty collision.

Allan James Waters, 37, of Laguna Niguel pleaded guilty in April to 12 felonies, including that he sold fake cocaine to buy prescription drugs and lied to eight doctors for more than a year to get prescription painkillers. He also pleaded to a sentencing enhancement for causing great bodily injury during the March 1, 2010 car crash.

Superior Court Judge Frank F. Fasel initially offered Waters 16 months in prison in exchange for his guilty pleas, but when Waters showed up at a previous sentencing hearing appearing to be under the influence of alcohol, Fasel withdrew the plea offer out of a concern for public safety.

On Friday, Fasel told Waters he could accept 32 months in prison, or withdraw his guilty pleas and go to trial. Waters accepted the new offer and was sentenced to prison, prosecutors said.

The 13-year deputy was fired from the sheriff’s department in June 2010 after a lengthy investigation into his involvement with prescription drugs. He was arrested on a warrant for driving under the influence and on suspicion of being a dealer who traded fake drugs and cash in exchange for prescription drugs.

Deputy District Attorney Brock Zimmon said Waters illegally obtained prescription pain pills by providing false information and repeatedly switching doctors from March 2009 to March 2010.

Waters was off-duty and driving southbound on Golden Lantern Street in Dana Point at 4:45 p.m. on March 1, 2010 when he failed to stop and crashed into the back of a vehicle stopped at a red light in front of him, according to police reports. He was allowed to leave the scene after sheriff’s deputies took a report, according to a news release from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

A few minutes later, Waters almost caused another collision while driving erratically at another intersection before he crossed over the middle lane and crashed into a vehicle driving in the far left lane. The victim’s vehicle was forced over a planter onto the wrong side of the road,

The 78-year-old female victim, the passenger in that vehicle, was transported to the hospital and sustained injuries to her back, for which she later had surgery.

At the time of the accident, Waters was on paid administrative leave from the sheriff’s department. Department officials could not explain the reasons for the leave because of Waters rights as a police officer.

Waters was paid $39,351.43 during the leave while under investigation by his department for nearly six months, the Register previously reported.

Register reporter Kimberly Edds contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: 714-834-3773 or vjolly@ocregister.com