Former Fresno Arts Council Employee Pleads Guilty to Fraud in $1.8 Million 'Scheme'

Uncertainty and Questions Surround the Future of Measure P After Funds Were Embezzled

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Uncertainty still surrounds the future of Measure P funding following the embezzlement of more than $1 million by a former Fresno Arts Council staff member. On Monday, the Fresno Parks, Recreation and Arts Committee met to discuss a 5-year evaluation of Measure P and the Expanded Access to Arts and Culture (EAAC) Grant Program it funds. But those numbers did not include the actions of former Fresno Arts Council operations…

Former Fresno Arts Council employee pleads guilty to fraud in $1.8 million 'scheme'

The woman accused of stealing $1.8 million from the Fresno Arts Council walked into federal court in Fresno on Monday. Inside, Suliana Caldwell pleaded guilty to wire fraud.

Fresno Arts Council operations manager pleads guilty in $1.8M wire fraud case

A Fresno woman has admitted to stealing more than $1.8 million from the Fresno Arts Council.Federal prosecutors 46-year-old Suliana Caldwell pleaded guilty to

Former Fresno Arts Council Manager Pleads Guilty in Measure P Theft. Sentencing in August

Former Fresno Arts Council manager Suliana Caldwell pled guilty Monday to stealing $1.8 million from the nonprofit, which included taxpayer money from Measure P. The Department of Justice announced the plea, which came two weeks after a plea agreement from Caldwell detailing the crime. A sentencing hearing will be on Aug. 10, when she could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, the announcement stated. The FBI and Fresno Police Depa…

Ex-Arts Council employee pleads guilty to Measure P embezzlement

The former employee of the Fresno Arts Council at the center of an embezzlement scandal pleaded guilty to wire fraud in federal court on Monday.  U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced that Suliana Caldwell, 46, pleaded guilty to stealing more than $1.8 million in Measure P funding from the Arts Council.  Driving the news: Caldwell worked as operations manager for the Arts Council from 2021 to February 2026, when city officials reported that $1.5 mi…

Fresno Arts Council ex-manager pleads guilty to embezzlement

Suliana Caldwell, 46, Fresno Arts Council ex operations manager, pleaded guilty on Monday to embezzling $1.8 million dollars. Sentencing soon