California mayor confesses to embezzling money from church

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Tuesday, October 07, 2025

Claiming she was racked by guilt over her sin, Tamara Wallace, the mayor of South Lake Tahoe, California, and administrator for the Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church, has confessed to embezzling an undisclosed sum of money from the church, which led to a failed suicide attempt. 

In an op-ed published on SouthTahoeNow.com on Sunday, Wallace admitted to taking “funds from the Presbyterian Church over an extended period.”

“Because of this, on September 11, 2025, my birthday, I tried to end my life. I was so filled with guilt, shame, and grief that I experienced a mental health crisis that made suicide seem to be the best solution. It was only by the grace of God that I failed,” she wrote.

Wallace further stated that after her suicide attempt, she spent 18 days in a mental health facility. Now she’s coping with the use of prescription drugs and intense therapy, and has been trying to reach out to the church’s pastor, Greg Hughes, without success.

“I have been reaching out to the church through the Pastor. I have not heard back yet, other than hearing second-hand that the church may seek charges through the District Attorney. I have heard that someone told the Tribune that they now have a reporter trying to get a story,” Wallace wrote. “Here it is…rather than being like many public servants and individuals who try to lie, hide, and delay the consequences of something they have done, I am taking a different path. I am telling the truth and admitting what I have done.”

Even though Wallace is still listed as Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church’s administrator, a statement from the church’s board of directors to The Christian Post on Tuesday confirmed that she has been fired from the role and reported to law enforcement.

“Tamara Wallace has formally acknowledged committing a significant offense against the congregation of Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church. When this was discovered by the church, her employment was terminated on September 26, 2025, and the matter was appropriately referred to law enforcement authorities,” church officials said. “She did not attend our church nor was she a member. Our congregation has suffered extensive loss, and as we address this loss and its impact, we remain committed to prayer, compassion, transparency, and justice.”

Wallace declares on Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church’s website that her favorite Bible verse is Romans 6:23, which states, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

It was unclear Tuesday whether or not Wallace would be removed from her government job, but the Tahoe Daily Tribune reports that “California Government Code 1021 states that if a public employee is convicted of a felony, such as the embezzlement of public money, they shall be disqualified for five years from any public employment, including with the city or county.” If Wallace embezzled more than $950, her theft would count as a felony.

Wallace pointed to suffering the trauma of childhood sexual abuse and a myriad of ongoing personal struggles. She also said she believes the intense guilt came from betraying the church that showed her love, and she plans to repay what she stole and take any other punishment that comes with her crime.

“My guilt came from my taking funds from a church that, individually and as a group, embraced me, showed me love, and trusted me as their church administrator. In my mind, I may have found justification by using most of those funds to help others, such as my deceased son’s three children,” she wrote.

“The weight of what I had done was so unbearably great that my mind deceived me into the belief that my suicide attempt would protect my husband, whom I had recently celebrated our 25th anniversary with, and my adult children, who have all devoted their lives to the children of this community. I could not fathom that my husband would forgive me and stand by me. But he has,” she continued.

“I also know that my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, paid the price for my sins and asks for us all to admit our sins, truly repent, and ask for the forgiveness for which he has already given. But that does not free us from the earthly consequences of our actions. I must repay every cent and accept whatever punishment comes to me.”