Las Vegas, NV — Michele Fiore, a former Las Vegas city councilwoman and current Justice of the Peace in Nye County, has been charged with four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud by the Department of Justice. The charges were announced on Tuesday.

Fiore Sought Donations to Build a Statue Honoring Vegas Police Officers Killed on Duty

According to the indictment, Fiore solicited donations during her tenure as a city councilwoman to fund a statue honoring Las Vegas police officers who were killed in the line of duty. She assured donors that 100% of their contributions would be used for the statue.

However, Fiore is now accused of diverting tens of thousands of dollars meant for the statue to pay for political fundraising bills, rent, and her daughter’s wedding. If convicted, Fiore faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count.

Who is Michele Fiore?

Fiore served as a Republican member of the Nevada State Assembly, representing District 4 from 2012 to 2016. She later made an unsuccessful bid for Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District seat in the U.S. House.

In 2017, Fiore was elected to the Las Vegas City Council, representing Ward 6. She ran for Nevada State Treasurer in November 2022 but was defeated by Zach Conine.

In December 2022, Fiore moved to Nye County while still serving on the city council to accept a role as a Justice of the Peace in Pahrump Justice Court. This move was questioned by her fellow councilmembers due to a city code requiring councilmembers to reside in the district they represent.

Source: IBT Times