LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The former executive director of the Las Vegas Metro Police Department Foundation allegedly moved money to pay himself, according to documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained Tuesday.
Thomas Kovach Jr. faces 19 theft charges, records said. All the charges are felonies and range in value from $3,500 to $100,000.
Founded in 1999, the non-profit, which is separate from the police department itself, “raises funds to support and supplement [Metro’s] programs and initiatives,” a post on its website said. Those programs included funding part of the department’s $25 million reality training center.
The foundation raised nearly $9 million in 2023 through fundraising, contributions and other income, like through LVMPD-branded license plates, documents said.
According to documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained Tuesday, Kovach allegedly “misused his position as executive director” to move nearly $350,000 of foundation money to a second organization, Project Real. On its website, Project Real’s leadership said the nonprofit “[guides] students in understanding their constitutional rights, the intricacies of laws that shape daily life, and the value of lives rich with civic engagement.”