South Lake Tahoe Mayor Confesses to Theft and Suicide Attempt
The mayor of South Lake Tahoe, California, has admitted to allegedly stealing money from a local church and has spoken about a suicide attempt in a letter shared with the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,” Mayor Tamara Wallace wrote. In her letter, she revealed that she had been receiving funds from the Presbyterian Church for some time. She described a deep sense of guilt and sadness that culminated in a crisis on her birthday, September 11, 2025, leading her to contemplate suicide.
Wallace disclosed that she spent 18 days in a mental health facility where she engaged in therapy and was prescribed medication. The alleged theft reportedly took place during her tenure as an administrator at the church.
“My guilt stems from accepting funds from a church that welcomed me and showed me love. I believed I was using some of those funds to assist others, such as my deceased son’s three children,” she recounted.
“I have to pay back every penny and accept whatever punishment comes my way,” she added. Following her suicide attempt, she compiled a list of account numbers and passwords for the church, possibly to ease future detection of the issues.
The El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office is currently investigating both the alleged theft and Wallace’s confession, according to spokeswoman Melanie Torres. Wallace’s term as a council member is set to conclude in 2026.
In response to Wallace’s revelations, Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church stated that it had faced significant financial losses. The church announced that Wallace had formally recognized her serious breaches of trust and was terminated from her position on September 26, 2025, with the situation referred to law enforcement.
“She did not attend or belong to our church. Our congregation has experienced a profound loss, but we remain committed to prayer, compassion, transparency, and justice as we cope with the fallout,” the church remarked.
Wallace did not specify the amount of money she is accused of stealing.
