Former Las Vegas City Councilwoman Michele Fiore Charged with Stealing Money Donated for Police Statue
Michele Fiore, a familiar name in Las Vegas politics, finds herself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The 53-year-old, former Republican councilwoman in Las Vegas and current Justice of the Peace in Pahrump, Nevada, was indicted on Tuesday, July 16th, for Charity Fraud. The Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed that Fiore, a trusted figure, had misled charity contributors, assuring them that “100% of the contributions” would be used to create a statue in remembrance of fallen Las Vegas officers Igor Soldo and Alyn Beck, who were both killed on duty in June 2014. Instead, she allegedly diverted the funds, a substantial sum of about $70,000, for her personal gain.
Some of the allegations in the DOJ press release accuse Fiore of using the charitable donations to pay her political fundraising bills and rent. She is also alleged to have given the money to family members and even used it to pay for her daughter’s wedding.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office made the announcement that a jury indicted Michele Fiore on five counts, including four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to the indictment records, trial Attorneys Dahoud Askar and Alexander Gottfried of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case. If convicted, Fiore could face 20 years in prison.
Fiore denies all accusations against her, calling them “repugnant” and claiming to have suffered from “relentless investigations” and “continuous attacks” for the past decade.
Michele Fiore is right about one thing. She has been involved in numerous scandals over the years. In July 2015, the Bureau of Healthcare Quality and Compliance in Nevada revoked Fiore’s healthcare license for non-compliance with the law, according to coverage by The Las Vegas Sun. On multiple occasions, Health Facilities Inspectors tried to conduct routine surprise inspections at her business, Always There 4 You, but were denied entry. Even after an official warning from the Bureau, Fiore refused to comply, resulting in her license being stripped and her business closing down.
In 2022, Victoria Seaman, 56, a Republican councilwoman from Nevada, sued Fiore for over $15,000 for medical bills and emotional distress. Seaman alleged in the lawsuit that Fiore had been harassing her and violently attacked her in the hallway after a particularly tense council briefing. The lawsuit accused Fiore of pulling Seaman’s hair and breaking her finger. Seaman went to Mayor Carolyn Goodman, but when the surveillance tape that could prove the attack was erased by the city, Seaman took legal action against Fiore and the city. As of June 25th, 2024, Seaman’s case against the City of Las Vegas was dismissed due to a late filing.
Michele Fiore has called her latest indictment “an attack on [her] character” as she spoke to reporters after pleading Not Guilty to all charges. The trial date is set for September 24th, with pre-trial hearings starting on September 9th.
Fiore is not considered a flight risk, so she is currently out on bond, according to court documents. She must, as a condition of her release, avoid contact with any potential witnesses of the case save for her family.
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