On Sunday, October 13, 2024, 8 News Now reported that the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline would be holding a public hearing regarding suspended Pahrump Justice of the Peace Michele Fiore.
The hearing was scheduled for October 18th. At this hearing, the commission intended to suspend Fiore without pay. Fiore had previously been suspended from her judicial duties with full salary on July 24th following a federal felony indictment.
On October 3rd, a jury found Fiore guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud after deliberating for less than two hours. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Her attorney, Michael Sanft, withdrew from the case on October 8th and Fiore was appointed a public defender, Paola Armeni, on October 10th.
The order stated that Fiore had been deemed indigent. She is scheduled to be sentenced on January 6th, 2025 at 1:35 PM. After the guilty verdict, prosecutors declined to seek holding Fiore in custody before sentencing, indicating they would instead ask the court for electronic monitoring.
The charges stem from Fiore’s time as a Las Vegas city councilwoman in 2019. Specifically, Fiore was accused of raising over $70,000 for a statue honoring fallen Las Vegas police officer Alyn Beck but instead spending the funds on personal expenses.
Fiore’s term as Pahrump Justice of the Peace is set to end in January 2025. As of October 13th, she remained suspended with full pay pending the outcome of the upcoming hearing. During her suspension, Judge Gus Sullivan of Beatty has been covering her caseload in Pahrump once or twice a week, with the court covering his travel expenses.
Fiore has had a controversial political career in Nevada, which has included an unsuccessful bid for governor and most recently for state treasurer in 2022.
Source: 8 News Now
