A former Carson City mayoral and state Senate candidate faces a felony charge for theft of $19,737 from the Rural Nevada Democratic Caucus.
Aaron Michael Sims, 33, of Reno and a 2010 Douglas County High School graduate, was formally charged in a Jan. 8 criminal complaint by senior deputy attorney general Melissa Rosenthal for actions stemming from Aug. 3, 2023, to Nov. 29, 2024, according to a court document.
The case was investigated by Elihu Vann.
Sims was arrested Thursday by the Carson City Sheriff’s Office after Sims turned himself in.
Two members of the organization filed a police report with CCSO on June 10, 2024, accusing Sims, the organization’s then-chair, of stealing political donations.
He allegedly used funds for restaurants, fuel, hotels, airline tickets, entertainment, department stores, food, liquor, tobacco, vapes, clothes, gifts, shipping, home improvement items and medical supplies. The entertainment included music, movies and video games, according to the court document.
Sims allegedly paid off his personal credit card with the organization’s funds.
He had no receipts, according to board members, and was allegedly not authorized to spend more than $100 without board approval.
Sims said that some of the purchases were made by accident and some were “maybe too personal,” according to the investigation by Vann. Sims said he mistakenly used the organization’s debit card instead of his own.
Sims allegedly used Cash App, Paypal, Zelle and an ATM to withdraw $3,690.
On Jan. 15, 2025, Lynn Stephenson said the Nevada Democratic Party took over the organization’s bank accounts and asked Sims to resign.
POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS
Sims was a candidate for Carson City Mayor in the June 9, 2020, primary, finishing fifth with 5.5% of the vote.
Sims also was the Democratic Party’s nominee for state Senate District 16 in the Nov. 8, 2022, general election against Republican Lisa Krasner, who won with 60.3% off the vote.
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