A former finance supervisor for the Fresno Arts Council has pleaded guilty after federal prosecutors accused her of siphoning greater than $1.8 million from the nonprofit, and spending a part of the cash to gamble at native casinos, pay for holidays, and canopy different private bills.
Suliana Caldwell, 46, of Fresno, admitted one depend of wire fraud in federal court docket, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California stated. Prosecutors contend the losses mounted whereas she managed key accounts and dealt with inside monetary reporting.
In response to court records, Caldwell labored because the council’s operations supervisor from 2021 till February 2026. The place gave her authority over financial institution accounts, payroll, grants, donations and different day-to-day funds.
She additionally assembled monetary updates that have been shared with the manager director, board members and native authorities officers.
Investigators say the theft began in 2022, when Caldwell started making “unauthorized transfers from the FAC’s financial institution accounts to her personal private PayPal and to her financial institution accounts.”
Prosecutors stated the quantities grew sharply the next 12 months after new public cash reached the group. The plea settlement says these transfers “elevated considerably in 2023” after the council started receiving Measure P funds.
Measure P is a voter-approved Fresno tax measure that helps parks, trails, arts programming and different group initiatives. Federal prosecutors stated the Fresno Arts Council obtained $9.4 million in August 2023, adopted by one other $5.7 million in October 2024.
How Fresno Arts Council supervisor hid cash used for playing and private bills
Federal prosecutors stated Caldwell used a place of belief to maintain the scheme from being detected. In response to the plea settlement, she “altered and misreported the monetary figures within the experiences to make the experiences seem as if no unauthorized transfers have been occurring.”
They have been then offered to council leaders and public officers as in the event that they have been correct, prosecutors stated.
The submitting says that between June 2022 and February 2026, Caldwell took greater than $1.8 million. It provides: “She then used the funds to gamble at native casinos, pay for holidays, and for different improper private bills.”
Investigators stated Caldwell later met with the Fresno Police Division and the FBI on March 26, 2026. Throughout that interview, authorities stated, she confessed and described the group’s monetary procedures throughout her time there. Caldwell’s protection lawyer, Kevin Rooney, informed reporters exterior the court docket: “Ms Caldwell had some emotional issues, alcohol issues, all of it spiralled right into a playing dependancy.
“Ms Caldwell’s extraordinarily distraught about what she’s accomplished. It’s impacted her household; it’s impacted the Fresno Arts Council.”
When requested in regards to the artists impacted by the theft, Rooney added, “I can’t communicate precisely to what Ms. Caldwell would say. She’s very upset. It’s simply unlucky throughout for the artists, for the group, for Ms Caldwell, for her household.”
The FBI and Fresno Police Division are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Joseph D. Barton are main the prosecution.
Caldwell is scheduled to be sentenced earlier than U.S. District Decide Jennifer L. Thurston on August 10, 2026.
She faces a most doable sentence of 20 years in jail and a $250,000 nice. Any last punishment will probably be set by the court docket after reviewing federal sentencing pointers and the circumstances of the case.
Featured picture: Suliana Caldwell through LinkedIn
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