The former Fresno Arts Council employee at the center of the Measure P embezzlement scandal will plead guilty to federal wire fraud as part of a deal with prosecutors.
The plea agreement for ex-Arts Council employee Suliana Caldwell was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California last Tuesday.
The backstory: Caldwell’s name quickly emerged after Fresno city officials revealed in early February that $1.5 million in Measure P funds had been embezzled.
- The money was given to the Arts Council to distribute for competitive grants intended to expand access to arts in Fresno.
- Longtime Arts Council leader Lilia Gonzales-Chavez has since left the organization and has been replaced by Andrea Mele in the interim.
The big picture: Caldwell admitted in her plea that she embezzled $1.8 million from the Arts Council, a greater number than had been previously reported. She has agreed to pay the money back in restitution.
- Court documents reveal that Caldwell began her embezzlement scheme in June 2022 by transferring money from Arts Council bank accounts to her bank account and her PayPal account.
- She admitted to using the money at local casinos and to pay for vacations, among other uses.
Driving the news: Caldwell hid the scheme for over three years by altering financial reports that she submitted to her bosses and to the city and county.
- She confessed her crimes to the Fresno Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation on March 26.
What we’re watching: Caldwell is scheduled to plead guilty on April 20, with sentencing likely to follow in the months after.
- She faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, although federal prosecutors will recommend a sentence of three years of supervised release and full restitution, as part of the plea deal.
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