Fresno Arts Council ex manager admits $1.8M theft spent on gambling
A former finance manager for the Fresno Arts Council has pleaded guilty after federal prosecutors accused her of siphoning more than $1.8 million from the nonprofit, and spending part of the money to gamble at local casinos, pay for vacations, and cover other personal expenses.
Suliana Caldwell, 46, of Fresno, admitted one count of wire fraud in federal court, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California said. Prosecutors contend the losses mounted while she controlled key accounts and handled internal financial reporting.
According to court records, Caldwell worked as the council’s operations manager from 2021 until February 2026. The position gave her authority over bank accounts, payroll, grants, donations and other day-to-day finances.
She also assembled financial updates that were shared with the executive director, board members and local government officials.
Investigators say the theft started in 2022, when Caldwell began making “unauthorized transfers from the FAC’s bank accounts to her own personal PayPal and to her bank accounts.”
Prosecutors said the amounts grew sharply the following year after new public money reached the organization. The plea agreement says those transfers “increased significantly in 2023” after the council began receiving Measure P funds.
Measure P is a voter-approved Fresno tax measure that supports parks, trails, arts programming and other community projects. Federal prosecutors said the Fresno Arts Council received $9.4 million in August 2023, followed by another $5.7 million in October 2024.
How Fresno Arts Council manager hid money used for gambling and personal expenses
Federal prosecutors said Caldwell used a position of trust to keep the scheme from being detected. According to the plea agreement, she “altered and misreported the financial figures in the reports to make the reports appear as though no unauthorized transfers were occurring.”
They were then provided to council leaders and public officials as if they were accurate, prosecutors said.
The filing says that between June 2022 and February 2026, Caldwell took more than $1.8 million. It adds: “She then used the funds to gamble at local casinos, pay for vacations, and for other improper personal expenses.”
Investigators said Caldwell later met with the Fresno Police Department and the FBI on March 26, 2026. During that interview, authorities said, she confessed and described the organization’s financial procedures during her time there. Caldwell’s defense attorney, Kevin Rooney, told reporters outside the court: “Ms Caldwell had some emotional problems, alcohol problems, all of it spiralled into a gambling addiction.
“Ms Caldwell’s extremely distraught about what she’s done. It’s impacted her family; it’s impacted the Fresno Arts Council.”
When asked about the artists impacted by the theft, Rooney added, “I can’t speak exactly to what Ms. Caldwell would say. She’s very upset. It’s just unfortunate all around for the artists, for the community, for Ms Caldwell, for her family.”
The FBI and Fresno Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Joseph D. Barton are leading the prosecution.
Caldwell is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on August 10, 2026.
She faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any final punishment will be set by the court after reviewing federal sentencing guidelines and the circumstances of the case.
Featured image: Suliana Caldwell via LinkedIn
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