Rural Nevada judge who once ran for state treasurer indicted on federal fraud charges

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Nevada justice of the peace who ran unsuccessfully for state treasurer in 2022 has been indicted on federal charges alleging she used money donated for a memorial to slain police officers for political campaign costs, rent and her daughter’s wedding.

Michele Fiore, 53, a justice of the peace in rural Pahrump and a state Republican National Committee member, declined comment Wednesday about the five-count indictment filed a day earlier in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas. The former Nevada state Assembly and Las Vegas City Council member said she had not yet seen the document.

Fiore is accused of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, crimes that each carry a possible penalty of 20 years in prison. Court records do not reflect when Fiore is due for an initial court appearance or whether she has an attorney representing her.

The grand jury was told that when Fiore was a city council member from 2017 to 2022, she promised to use 100% of the contributions she solicited to erect a statue in a city park to honor two Las Vegas police officers who were killed on duty in June 2014.

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