The mayor of the City of South Lake Tahoe, California, confessed to allegedly stealing funds from a local church, prompting her to attempt suicide, according to a Sunday letter published by the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
“This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do,” Mayor Tamara Wallace said in the letter published by the Tahoe Daily Tribune. “I am publicly admitting that I took 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,” she admitted.
Wallace also said she has spent 18 days in a mental health facility and is taking medicine in addition to participating in individual and group therapy sessions. The alleged theft occurred while she served as the church’s administrator, according to the same letter.
“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,” Wallace said in part.
“I must repay every cent and accept whatever punishment comes to me,” she added.
She prepared a list of account numbers and passwords and provided them to the church following her suicide attempt, “so that [her] actions could be more easily discovered.” (RELATED: Eerie Video Shows UFO Flying In Broad Daylight)
The El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the alleged stolen funds and Wallace’s confession, spokesperson Melanie Torres told SFGate.com. Wallace’s term on the City Council ends in 2026.
The Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church responded to Wallace’s admission about allegedly stealing funds, telling the Tahoe Daily Tribune on Oct. 7 that it has “suffered an extensive loss.”
“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.”
“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,” the church said.
Wallace did not say how much money she allegedly stole, according to KTVU.