California mayor claims guilt over embezzling money from church drove her to suicide attempt

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.

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