Open Letter to District Attorney Vern Pierson: Demand for Justice in the Tamara Wallace Scandal

Dear District Attorney Pierson,

We, the undersigned residents of the Lake Tahoe Community, write as a region battered by betrayal, our trust in local institutions shattered by a judiciary that has shielded corruption for more than two decades. The Tamara Wallace scandal—now national news in the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee, New York Post and others—is not a singular failing but the rotten fruit of a judicial system that all too often protects the criminal while leaving regular citizens unprotected. More than $360,000 was stolen from Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church, funds meant for local and global ministries, by the same woman who confessed to a $122,000 theft in 2006 yet faced only a civil footnote and unpaid debt. This is not justice deferred; it is justice denied, and it demands your uncompromising action.

The Lake Tahoe Community suffers when council member scandals ripple across tourism, environmental boards, and other agencies of “public trust”, while citizen concerns and voices are dismissed as outsiders by regional political insiders and stakeholders.

The facts are stark and shameful. In 2006, Wallace admitted in writing to grand theft exceeding California’s felony threshold (Penal Code §487) by a hundredfold, yet El Dorado County’s legal and judicial system allowed it to languish as a promissory note and a 2021 small claims case (SC20210079). No charges, no conviction—nothing to bar her from public office under Government Code §1021. Had Tamara Wallace been prosecuted for criminal theft, she would not have joined South Lake Tahoe’s City Council in 2018, become mayor, and embezzled over $360,000 from the church from 2018 to 2025.

Adding fuel to the fire, on October 21, 2025, the council appointed Cody Bass interim mayor despite his September arrest for misdemeanor trespassing, harassment, prior nonpayment of taxes, and refusing public calls for censure. This perpetuates the cycle of impunity that has enabled Wallace, fueled by California’s lax laws (Elections Code §348) and your office’s failure to pursue felonies, allowing serious crimes to be downgraded to mere civil matters for more than 20 years.

Decades of corruption and a failed judiciary have left the community scarred, trust shattered, businesses struggling, and hundreds of thousands of dollars missing.

This pattern—Wallace’s unpunished 2006 theft, her persistent non-compliance with required restoration of funds, her 2025 embezzlement and grand theft, Bass’s unchecked rise despite repeated legal troubles—exposes systemic rot and demands immediate vetting reform. Local alliances and insider deals breed conflicts that erode public trust and strong-arm overdevelopment. Wallace’s retention of Steven C. Bailey, an ex-judge censured in 2019 for ethics deepens the stench of cronyism.

How can our community trust a system where the same players evade accountability repeatedly while citizens pay the price? Will your office finally rise to the occasion and do what is right here by charging Tamara Wallace with the maximum embezzlement count possible and demanding solid jail time? We demand justice that serves the entire Lake Tahoe Community.

We call for immediate action:

· File Felony Charges Without Delay: Prosecute the 2025 embezzlement (PC §503/§487) and aggregate it with the 2006 theft as a pattern of fraud, securing full restitution ($470,000+) and a five-year office ban. No plea deals—let a jury decide.

· Appoint an Independent Special Prosecutor: Recuse your office under Government Code §12550 to eliminate bias. We call on Attorney General Rob Bonta to oversee if conflicts persist.

· Advocate Systemic Reform: Push for mandatory criminal background checks and felony disclosures for candidates handling finances, amending Elections Code §348. Support victims like the church through expedited restitution funds.

The Lake Tahoe Community deserves a DA who enforces the law, not one who turns a blind eye to corruption. Mr. Pierson, we ask today for your prompt and unequivocal public commitment to these urgently needed actions; the nation watches, and history will record your response.

Sincerely, On Behalf of Concerned Citizens of the Lake Tahoe Community

J. Brett Tibbitts, Lake Tahoe resident
Dana Tibbitts, Lake Tahoe resident
Mark Mohr, Lake Tahoe resident
Linda Mohr, Lake Tahoe resident
Alan Miller, PE, Lake Tahoe resident
Robyn Johnson, Lake Tahoe resident
Kent Johnson, Lake Tahoe resident
Marlenda Bryant, Lake Tahoe resident
Patricia Morgan, Lake Tahoe resident
Andy Huckbody, Lake Tahoe resident
Greg Hansen, California Civil Defense Institute
Robert Aaron, Lake Tahoe resident, small business owner
Elisabeth Lernhardt, Lake Tahoe resident
Diane Becker, Lake Tahoe resident
Stebbin Rinehart, Lake Tahoe resident