Tamara Le Ann Wallace pleads guilty to embezzling $390,000 from church

Tamara Le Ann Wallace, the former mayor of South Lake Tahoe, has pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges related to the embezzlement of approximately $390,000 from the Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church.

Prosecutors stated that the theft occurred between April 2019 and September 2025 while Wallace served as the church’s part-time bookkeeper. She allegedly used her access to church finances to issue herself fraudulent reimbursement checks for non-existent expenses and made unauthorized electronic transfers to accounts she controlled. Wallace also reportedly falsified financial entries to conceal the scheme.

The embezzlement nearly caused the church to shut down, forcing the organization to scale back programming, secure loans, and pay interest on overdue bills. Wallace resigned from her position as mayor in October 2025 following her public admission of the theft in a letter. She faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $25,000 fine, with sentencing scheduled for January.