Yesterday afternoon, a jury in a Las Vegas courtroom found former Las Vegas Councilwoman and Nye CountyJustice of the Peace Michelle Fiore guilty of all charges–six counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. It took jurors less than two hours to reach a verdict. .
Federal prosecutors primarily alleged that Fiore defrauded donors for a memorial statue honoring fallen Las Vegas police office Alyn Beck, spending the funds on personal expenses, plastic surgery, and her daughter’s wedding.
According to KTNV:
Federal prosecutor Alexander Gottfried focused his closing argument on three questions.
- Did the defendant make false promises?
- Did those promises influence donors to part with their money?
- Did the defendant have the intent to defraud them?
According to Gottfried, Fiore lied to donors by sending them flyers, emails, and having conversations about how the money would be used. For example, prosecutors showed the jury a solicitation letter from October 2019, which one donor testified is what prompted her to give money to the cause. Prosecutors also pointed out that the address on the flyer, where donors could send money, was Fiore’s home address. One of the flyers shown in court was allegedly sent four days after the Alyn Beck statue was dedicated.
When going through a sample of bank records, Gottfried also stated that Fiore’s daughter, Sheena Siegel, and her daughter’s company, Hamlet Events, were the biggest recipients of donor funds.
Fiore’s defense team argued that Fiore was the subject to an improper search by federal agents, referring to the “sloppy” work of the FBI. The defense had initially asked for five of the seven charges to be dismissed, but Judge Jennifer Dorsey denied their motion and maintained that the prosecution had provided ample evidence for jury deliberation.
In a prior press conference, Fiore alleged that her house was “raided, looted and robbed” by FBI agents. Fiore pleaded not guilty.
After Fiore’s failed (but memorable) campaign for state treasurer, she was unanimously appointed as the Justice of Peace in Nye County in December 2022.
She once served as Nevada’s RNC National Committeewoman and was a former state Assemblywoman for two terms. From 2017 to 2022, she represented Ward 6 as a councilwoman in the City of Las Vegas.
Fiore’s sentencing is on January 6 at 1:30 PM. Each count carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
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Considering that Fiore was unanimously appointed as a Justice of the Peace by the Nye County Commissioners explains alot. Especially when Nye is infamously known as the "most corrupt County in the Nation", according to media stories written in the past. Considering this, she really must have ticked the wrong person off to find herself in this dilemma. Likely didn't properly kiss the ring of those in charge who generally would overlook such malfeasance.