Nevada Conservative Accused of Fraud Over Fund-Raising for Charity

Michele Fiore, a colorful figure in the state’s politics, took donations intended for a slain officer’s statue and used them for personal expenses, prosecutors said.

Michele Fiore, a Nevada politician known for her fiery brand of conservatism, was indicted on fraud charges on Tuesday for what prosecutors said was a scheme to spend charitable donations on personal expenses.

Ms. Fiore, 53, a justice of the peace in Pahrump, Nev., was a city councilor for Las Vegas in 2019 when, federal prosecutors said, she asked for donations to build a statue memorializing a police officer who had been killed while on duty.

In a statement on Wednesday, the prosecutors said that tens of thousands of dollars had been donated to Ms. Fiore — as well as to her political action committee, and to a charity she established in 2019 — but that none of the funding had been spent on the statue, as she had promised.

Instead, according to the statement, “the donations were used to pay her political fund-raising bills and rent and were transferred to family members, including to pay for her daughter’s wedding.”

A grand jury charged Ms. Fiore with four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. If she is convicted, she could face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. An arraignment has been scheduled for July 29.

“I have always approached my duties with utmost integrity and dedication,” Ms. Fiore said in an emailed statement on Wednesday. “Now that these accusations have been made, I look forward to my day in court and have faith in our judicial system.”