A significant embezzlement case has been uncovered involving Kami Elois Power, a former employee of a construction company from Gardnerville, Nevada. Charged with an array of financial crimes, Power, 54, stands accused of embezzling over $1.4 million from her South Lake Tahoe employer. The indictment, a culmination of an investigation by the FBI and the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California, Power's intricate scheme ran from November 2019 to May 2023 while serving as an office assistant. She allegedly set up fake profiles and crafted companies with initials mirroring her own, such as “KEP Inc. Sale” and “KPI," to conceal fraudulent transfers as legitimate payments to vendors.
Power is accused of diverting funds for personal gain, using the money to purchase properties, luxury vehicles, ATVs, and a horse. The indictment also outlines how she allegedly misused company credit cards for personal expenses and used embezzled funds to pay off her personal credit card debts.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot C. Wong and Whitnee Goins are spearheading the prosecution, which could see Power facing substantial prison time and hefty fines if convicted. Each count of wire fraud carries a possible 20-year sentence and a $250,000 fine, while bank fraud could mean 30 years and a $1 million fine for each count. An aggravated identity theft conviction demands a mandatory two-year term. Despite these grave charges, as the U.S. Attorney's Office notes, "The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."
