Las Vegas nonprofit responds to LVMPD Foundation theft allegations: ‘We are devastated’

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Leaders at a nonprofit at the center of the LVMPD Foundation theft scandal said Friday they were devastated about the news but will push forward.

Thomas Kovach Jr., the former executive director of the foundation, faces 19 theft charges, the 8 News Now Investigators first reported Tuesday.

Kovach allegedly “misused his position as executive director” to move nearly $350,000 to a second organization, Project REAL, documents said. 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.”

Detectives said payments to Project REAL were hidden in money meant for LVMPD Foundation purposes. Kovach then allegedly took that money and paid himself, documents said.

Leaders from Project REAL issued a statement Friday, saying in part: “While allegations are not verdicts, the sheer volume of apparent improprieties we have seen in the news and other documents amplified a sense of betrayal we were already processing, after having contributed to the investigation of Kovach earlier this year.”

Project REAL’s executive director is quoted in police documents saying: “Kovach would take most of the money for his salary as they did not have money in the bank account. [W]hen they received donations, Kovach would pay himself instead of paying [the executive director] back.”

In all, Metro detectives suspect Kovach took more than $182,000 of the nearly $350,000 transferred to Project REAL, documents said. From 2018 to 2022, Kovach received $600,000 from Project REAL. The nonprofit itself received about $1 million during the same time.

Read the entire statement:

This week, Project REAL’s Board learned of the 19 felony charges brought against Tom Kovach, and the allegation that he used Project REAL to take money from the LVMPD Foundation without authority.

As victims of Kovach, we became aware in March of a criminal investigation into him. We hoped that charges would be leveled against him related to how he directly harmed Project REAL, and although we are disappointed that currently they do not reflect that, we remain patient and hopeful that additional charges will eventually be announced.

The board and I are incredibly frustrated that our opportunities to expand on this matter are limited, however it is in everyone’s best interest that we do everything we can to preserve the integrity of any potential investigations related to crimes we believe he committed against Project REAL.

While that process unfolds, we ask the community to stand by us and the work we have done and must continue to do.

Prior to learning of the investigation, we began seeking out an audit of our organization as a matter of best practices. That audit is now actively in progress; we have an entirely new board of directors; and, most importantly, we have at least 10,000 students counting on our programs and service over the next nine months – all of which are already fully funded. This year, with a total budget of $227,971, those dollars and our hours of service will be spent through our domestic violence prevention, courthouse field trips, “Adulting 101” guides, behavior enhancement programs and middle school character development activities.

We are devastated to know that when Project REAL comes up in conversation this week, it will be about decisions Kovach made – and not the work we do – initiatives our team members personally lead in the field that result in students at all grade levels sharing with us how Project REAL may have saved their lives.

Kovach is not Project Real. Project REAL is the 18,000 students we served in the 2023-2024 school year. Project REAL is the 2,260 students who participated in our relationship violence prevention program in the last year. Project REAL is the 100 percent of Nevada’s high school seniors who had access to our “Adulting 101” guide as they graduated in June. Project REAL is the countless judges, lawyers, business owners and community members who support us.

While the current situation may have made our work more challenging, it has not made it any less important. Our team knows who we are and the value of our mission. We are saving lives and improving futures.

We encourage the community to get involved, schedule our services and support us, as we continue to build a better Nevada. Existing donors and supporters are welcome to reach out to me directly with any questions.

Mike Kamer, Project REAL executive director

Prosecutors issued a summons for Kovach’s arrest on Monday, the 8 News Now Investigators first reported. He was not due to appear in court until Oct. 28. His lawyer has not returned a request for comment.

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