FORMER FRESNO ARTS COUNCIL MANAGER PLEADS GUILTY IN $1.8 MILLION EMBEZZLEMENT CASE: FEDERAL CHARGE DETAILS MISUSE OF PUBLIC ARTS FUNDING AND INTERNAL FINANCIAL CONTROL FAILURES

A federal criminal case in the Eastern District of California has resulted in a guilty plea from a former nonprofit financial manager accused of diverting more than $1.8 million in publicly designated funds, exposing sustained internal control failures within an organization entrusted with administering taxpayer-backed arts funding.

Suliana Caldwell, 46, of Fresno, pleaded guilty to wire fraud following an investigation into financial activity at the Fresno Arts Council, where she served as operations manager from 2021 through February 2026. In that role, Caldwell maintained direct control over multiple financial systems, including bank accounts, payroll distribution, grant funding, donor contributions, and internal reporting mechanisms.

Court records establish that Caldwell’s responsibilities included producing financial reports for executive leadership, board oversight, and external stakeholders, including the City and County of Fresno. That access enabled her to operate within both transactional and reporting layers of the organization’s financial structure.

The fraudulent activity began in 2022, when Caldwell initiated unauthorized withdrawals from organizational accounts. Investigators state that the volume and frequency of withdrawals increased substantially after the Fresno Arts Council was designated to administer Measure P grant funding in 2023. Measure P, a voter-approved tax initiative passed in 2018, allocates funding for public infrastructure projects including parks, trails, and arts programming, placing the Fresno Arts Council in a position of financial stewardship over significant public resources.

Financial inflows tied to Measure P expanded the organization’s available capital. In August 2023, the Fresno Arts Council received approximately $9.4 million in allocated funds, followed by an additional $5.7 million in October 2024. Authorities state that this increase in available funds coincided with an escalation in fraudulent withdrawals conducted by Caldwell, leveraging the higher transaction volume to mask irregular activity.

The scheme relied on manipulation of internal financial reporting. Prosecutors state that Caldwell altered and falsified accounting records to conceal discrepancies between actual account balances and reported figures. These falsified reports were presented to executive leadership and board members as accurate representations of the organization’s financial position, preventing early detection of the losses.

Between June 2022 and February 2026, Caldwell is documented to have diverted more than $1.8 million from Fresno Arts Council accounts. The misappropriated funds were used for personal expenditures, including gambling activity at regional casinos, travel-related expenses, and other non-business financial obligations.

The case highlights a breakdown in financial oversight controls within a nonprofit entity responsible for administering public funds. The concentration of financial authority, combined with insufficient independent verification of internal reports, created conditions that allowed prolonged unauthorized activity without immediate detection.

The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in coordination with the Fresno Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Joseph D. Barton.

Caldwell is scheduled to be sentenced on August 10, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. Under federal statute, the wire fraud conviction carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Final sentencing will be determined by the court based on statutory considerations and federal sentencing guidelines, which account for factors including financial loss, duration of the offense, and abuse of a position of trust.

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United States District Court, Eastern District of California — Official Plea Agreement Record (Filed April 8, 2026)

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