LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A federal District Court docket choose denied a former Las Vegas councilwoman’s movement for a brand new trial Friday, the 8 Information Now Investigators have discovered, endorsing the federal government’s case that she schemed to capitalize on a neighborhood tragedy.
Michele Fiore, suspended in July 2024 from her place as Justice Court docket choose in Nye County, requested the court docket to grant her both an acquittal or a brand new trial after a jury deliberated for 2 hours and convicted her on one rely of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 6 counts of wire fraud in October 2024.
Every rely carries a most sentence of 20 years. Fiore’s sentencing is scheduled for Might 14.
On June 8, 2014, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Division officers Alyn Beck and Igor Soldo have been gunned down whereas they have been on their lunch break in northeast Las Vegas. Fiore claimed to lift cash for statues for the fallen officers, and a number of the high-profile residents from whom she collected donations have been Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo and the Native 872 union boss Tommy White, each of whom testified at trial.
The jury returned these responsible verdicts lower than two hours after the case went to deliberation following an eight-day trial on the federal courthouse in downtown Las Vegas. Court docket paperwork stated she fleeced donors out of tens of 1000’s of {dollars}.
In court docket paperwork searching for a brand new trial or acquittal, Fiore claimed there was inadequate proof to convict her. Proof introduced at trial confirmed {that a} growth firm paid for the statue for which Fiore claimed to be elevating cash, “and not a dime of the money that Fiore raised was used for that purpose,” Decide Jennifer Dorsey wrote in her opinion. “Instead, each check was quickly converted to cash and spent on Fiore’s personal expenses like rent, cosmetic procedures, and her daughter’s wedding.”
Fiore additionally argued in her movement that her trial legal professional was ineffective, and that the trial choose ought to have stricken controversial testimony from Fiore’s daughter, Sheena Siegel. Siegel finally testified in court docket, invoking her constitutional proper to not incriminate herself for any position she may need performed in Fiore’s legal wrongdoing.
“In sum, Fiore’s attempts to set aside the jury’s verdicts are unavailing,” Dorsey concluded.
Las Vegas legal professional Michael Sanft withdrew from the case lower than every week after Fiore’s conviction. One other legal professional, Paola Armeni, took over as Fiore’s legal professional on Oct. 15 and litigated the movement for the brand new trial and acquittal.
Earlier makes an attempt to succeed in Fiore for remark since her conviction have been unsuccessful.
