Michele Fiore, a 53-year-old former Las Vegas city councilwoman and current Nye County, Nevada, justice of the peace, has been charged with a charity fraud scheme.
According to a federal indictment, Fiore solicited donations to build a statue honoring Las Vegas police officers who were killed in the line of duty, promising donors that ‘100% of the contributions’ would be used towards the creation of this statue.
However, the indictment alleges that Fiore did not use any of the tens of thousands of dollars in charitable donations for the statue of the fallen officer and instead converted the money to her personal use.
The donations were allegedly used to pay her political fundraising bills and rent and were transferred to family members, including to pay for her daughter’s wedding.
Fiore is charged with four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.
The FBI Las Vegas Field Office is investigating the case, with Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans making the announcement.
Trial Attorneys Dahoud Askar and Alexander Gottfried of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.
It’s essential to note that an indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Key Facts
- State: Nevada
- Category: Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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