A former employee of a South Lake Tahoe construction company has been convicted on multiple charges of fraud and identity theft, following a trial that revealed an extensive embezzlement scheme. Kami Elois Power, 54, of Gardnerville, Nevada, was found guilty today of 11 counts of wire fraud, three counts of bank fraud, and three counts of aggravated identity theft, according to a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Between November 2019 and May 2023, while working as an office manager and controller at her family-owned business, Power embezzled over $1.4 million. She funneled funds through fictitious vendors and companies with names resembling her initials, such as KEP Inc. Sale and KPI, and also used the company credit card for personal purchases, including paying down her own credit card balances.
Evidence presented at the trial disclosed Power's purchase of two houses, several new cars and ATVs, a horse, field-level seats at football games, and a lavish $29,000 Hawaiian vacation with the stolen funds. The investigation that led to Power’s conviction was a collaborative effort involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the El Dorado County District Attorney's Office, and the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot Wong and Dhruv Sharma leading the prosecution efforts.
Power is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dena M. Coggins on February 27, 2026, facing substantial penalties, including up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines for each wire fraud count, 30 years and a $1 million fine for each count of bank fraud, and an additional mandatory two years for each identity theft count; the sentencing will take into account various statutory factors as well as the federal Sentencing Guidelines which weigh a multitude of variables.
