Justice of Peace Michele Fiore Indicted for Allegedly Misusing Charity Funds: 100% of Donations Supposedly for Police Statue Diverted to Personal Use

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA United States of America
FBI Las Vegas Field Office investigating case, trial attorneys Dahoud Askar and Alexander Gottfried prosecuting it
Fiore promised donors 100% of contributions would be used for police statue but diverted funds to personal use
Four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges against Fiore
Justice of Peace Michele Fiore indicted for allegedly misusing charity funds
Maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count if convicted
Justice of Peace Michele Fiore Indicted for Allegedly Misusing Charity Funds: 100% of Donations Supposedly for Police Statue Diverted to Personal Use

Former Las Vegas City Councilwoman Michele Fiore, currently serving as a justice of the peace in Nye County, has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly defrauding donors to a charity she established to build a statue honoring Las Vegas police officers who were killed in the line of duty. According to the indictment, Fiore promised donors that '100% of the contributions' would be used towards creating the statue, but instead converted the money to her personal use. The funds were reportedly used for political fundraising bills, rent, and her daughter's wedding expenses.

Fiore is charged with four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.

The indictment comes after Fiore served as a city councilwoman from 2017 to 2022, where she promised donors that all contributions would go towards the statue. She also ran for Nevada State Treasurer in November 2022 but was defeated by current Treasurer Zach Conine.

The FBI Las Vegas Field Office is investigating the case, and trial attorneys Dahoud Askar and Alexander Gottfried of the Criminal Division's Public Integrity Section are prosecuting it. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This is not the first time Fiore has faced controversy. In 2014, she gained national attention for supporting rancher Cliven Bundy during armed standoffs with federal law enforcement. She also made an unsuccessful bid for Nevada's 3rd Congressional District seat in the U.S. House in 2016.

The indictment is a reminder of the importance of transparency and accountability in charitable organizations and political campaigns.


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Confidence

90%

Doubts
  • It's unclear how much money was actually diverted from the charity to Fiore's personal use.
  • The indictment only alleges wrongdoing and Fiore is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Sources

80%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Grand jury indicts ex-Las Vegas Councilwoman Michele Fiore on wire fraud charges

The Nevada Independent Tabitha Mueller Wednesday, 17 July 2024 08:58
  • Unique Points
    • Former Las Vegas city councilwoman and current Nye County justice of the peace, Michele Fiore, has been indicted on four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
    • Fiore solicited donations for a charity she controlled, claiming the funds would be used for a statue memorializing Las Vegas Metropolitan police officers Alyn Beck and Igor Soldo, who were killed in the line of duty in 2014.
    • An unnamed relative of Fiore allegedly served as a conduit to hide stolen money by receiving payments from a charity and PAC controlled by Fiore and then spending the funds for her benefit.
  • Accuracy
    • The indictment alleges that Fiore defrauded donors of more than $70,000 for personal gain while promising the funds would be used to create a statue memorializing police officers killed in duty.
    • The FBI Las Vegas Field Office is investigating the case.
  • Deception (0%)
    The author Tabitha Mueller presents the indictment details of Michele Fiore's alleged wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The article states that Fiore solicited donations for a charity memorializing police officers, promising that '100 percent of the contributions' would be used for this purpose. However, the funds were allegedly used by Fiore for personal gain such as political fundraising bills, rent, and her daughter's wedding. This is an example of selective reporting and misrepresentation as Fiore intentionally deceived donors by promising that all contributions would go towards the charity when in fact she used a portion of the funds for personal expenses. The article also states that Fiore falsely told the sculptor that the city had paid for the statue with discretionary funds, which is an example of lying by omission as she failed to disclose that a private real estate development company had already paid for the statue. These actions constitute deceptive practices.
    • The indictment alleges that an unnamed relative of Fiore served as a conduit to hide the stolen money by receiving payments from a charity and PAC controlled by Fiore and then spending the funds to benefit Fiore and those involved in the fraud scheme.
    • Fiore falsely told the sculptor when the statue was unveiled in 2020 that the city had paid for the statue with discretionary funds.
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

98%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Former Las Vegas councilwoman accused of running fallen officer charity scheme

FOX5 Vegas News FOX5 Staff Wednesday, 17 July 2024 14:53
  • Unique Points
    • Former Las Vegas councilwoman Michele Fiore was charged with five counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on Tuesday, according to the Department of Justice.
    • Fiore is accused of using donations meant for building a statue honoring Las Vegas police officers killed in the line of duty for political fundraising bills, rent, and her daughter’s wedding.
    • During her time as a city councilwoman, Fiore promised donors that 100% of their contributions would go toward creating the statue.
    • Fiore served as a Republican member of the Nevada State Assembly from 2012 to 2016. She also made an unsuccessful bid for Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District seat in the U.S. House in 2016.
    • In 2017, Fiore won a seat on the Las Vegas City Council, representing Ward 6.
    • 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 in December 2022. Her move was questioned by her fellow councilmembers due to a city code that requires councilmembers to live in the district they represent.
  • Accuracy
    • Former Las Vegas councilwoman Michele Fiore was charged with five counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

78%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Michele Fiore Accused of Fraudulent Fund-Raising for Slain Las Vegas Officer’s Statue

The Name Of The NZ Prefix. I PWA NZI.P.Was Dropped. Jacey Fortin Wednesday, 17 July 2024 23:22
  • Unique Points
    • Michele Fiore used donations intended for a slain officer's statue on personal expenses.
    • None of the funding was spent on the statue.
    • The donations were used to pay political fund-raising bills and rent, and were transferred to family members including Ms. Fiore’s daughter for her wedding.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (0%)
    The author, Jacey Fortin, makes no editorializing or pontification in this article. However, she does report on a criminal indictment of Michele Fiore for fraudulent use of charitable donations. This is an example of selective reporting as the author only reports details that support the allegation against Fiore and does not mention any potential extenuating circumstances or context that may mitigate the severity of the charges.
    • tens of thousands of dollars had been donated to Ms. Fiore … 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.’
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

95%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Nevada judge indicted on federal fraud charges

The Mercury News The Associated Thursday, 18 July 2024 01:20
  • Unique Points
    • Nevada justice of the peace Michele Fiore has been indicted on federal charges for using donated memorial funds for political campaign costs, rent, and her daughter’s wedding.
    • Fiore is accused of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, each carrying a possible penalty of 20 years in prison.
    • Fiore served as a Republican in the Nevada state Legislature from 2012 to 2016 and gained national attention for supporting rancher Cliven Bundy during armed standoffs with federal law enforcement.
    • Fiore lost the statewide race for Nevada state treasurer in 2022 and was appointed as a local justice of the peace in rural Pahrump by Nye County lawmakers.
  • Accuracy
    • Fiore promised to use all charitable donations for a statue in a city park to honor two Las Vegas police officers but did not follow through.
    • An unnamed relative of Fiore allegedly served as a conduit to hide stolen money by receiving payments from a charity and PAC controlled by Fiore and then spending the funds for her benefit.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority and a potential dichotomous depiction. The Associated Press reports on the indictment of Michele Fiore without providing her side of the story, which could be seen as an appeal to authority. Additionally, the article describes Fiore's political stances and actions in a mostly neutral manner, potentially setting up a dichotomous depiction of her as either a supporter or opponent.
    • ]By Ken Ritter | Associates Press[...]
    • Fiore served one term as a Republican in the state Legislature from 2012 to 2016, where she was an outspoken supporter of gun rights and posed with guns and her family for Christmas cards in 2015. [...] She gained national attention backing rancher Cliven Bundy and his family during armed standoffs between militiamen and federal law enforcement officers in Bunkerville, Nevada, in 2014, and at a national wildlife refuge in Oregon in 2016.
    • Fiore was appointed by Nye County lawmakers in December 2022 to serve as one of two local justices of the peace in rural Pahrump [...]
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Former Las Vegas City Councilwoman Charged for Charity Fraud Scheme

Department of Justice Wednesday, 17 July 2024 13:04
  • Unique Points
    • A federal grand jury indicted Michele Fiore for allegedly defrauding donors to a charity she established to build a statue honoring Las Vegas police officers who were killed in the line of duty.
    • Fiore promised donors that ‘100% of the contributions’ would be used towards the creation of this statue, but instead converted the money to her personal use.
    • Fiore is charged with four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, each carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication