Former Lake Tahoe Humane Society director offered plea agreement

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The former executive director of the Lake Tahoe Humane Society will be back in court on Monday, September 24 to face felony charges of embezzlement.

Nicola "Niki" Congero has been offered a plea agreement by the El Dorado County District Attorney's Office and has until the 8:30 a.m. hearing Monday to give them her answer. She is being represented by El Dorado County Public Defender James Warden who has been with Congero during her court hearings on August 28 and September 10.

The basics of the offer are for Congero to plead guilty to a felony, complete a 180-day prison term with no alternative service, be on formal probation for three years and stipulate to paying $59,664.78 in restitution.

The 180 days would include time served if accepted.

On July 27, 2018 the El Dorado County District Attorney’s office obtained a warrant for Congero’s arrest. SLTPD detectives had investigated the case since March 14, 2017 when board members of the Lake Tahoe Humane Society (LTHS) reported to the police department that they believed their director had been embezzling money from the group. The South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) turned in their completed report to the District Attorney's Office at the end of 2017. The DA's office investigated the case for seven months, leading to Congero's arrest.

Congero was arrested in Knoxville, Tennessee without incident on August 1 when SLTPD detectives flew there to oversee her arrest. Congero waived extradition after two court dates in Tennessee and was transported to the El Dorado County Jail on August 19.