Former Arts Council Manager Sentenced to 33 Months for $1.8M Embezzlement of Measure P Funds

Suliana Caldwell, 46, former operations manager for the Fresno Arts Council, was sentenced Monday to 33 months in federal prison for embezzling over $1.8 million in public funds — including money from Measure P, the voter-approved parks and arts tax. The theft ran from 2022 through February 2026, during which Caldwell made roughly 300 unauthorized withdrawals, peaking at an average of more than $80,000 per month in 2023 after the Fresno City Council designated the Arts Council to administer Measure P grant money.

Caldwell managed the organization’s bank accounts, payroll, grants, and finances, and was responsible for reporting to the executive director, board members, and the City and County of Fresno. According to federal prosecutors, she concealed the theft by falsifying financial reports that omitted her withdrawals and overstated account balances. The judge called her conduct an “abuse of trust” and imposed a sentencing enhancement on that basis.

“This defendant abused her position, betrayed the public’s trust, and siphoned away over $1.8 million intended to support parks, trails, and the arts in Fresno,” U.S. Attorney Eric Grant said. “She lied and falsified financial reports in order to use taxpayer dollars to fund casino trips, vacations, and personal indulgences.”

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At the sentencing hearing, Caldwell apologized and called her actions “inexcusable.” Her attorney, Kevin Rooney, said she accepted responsibility and argued that gambling and alcohol addictions contributed to her conduct — most of the stolen money was lost at casinos, though some went toward two vehicles and a family trip to Las Vegas. Rooney also claimed insufficient safeguards were in place to detect the theft sooner; the judge rejected that argument.

Fresno City Manager Georgeanne White dismissed the claim outright: “I think that that is frankly shameful. Our employees did everything right in administering this contract. In fact, it was the fact that we have not received proper documentation that started this whole thing.” White added that the case has damaged trust within the local arts community: “There’s a great amount of distrust among the artist community. They are very angry, and frankly, I’m angry too.”

According to court testimony, $563,302 has been returned to the Arts Council through PayPal, but the city has not yet received any funds. White said the city and Arts Council will continue efforts to recover the remaining money. A restitution hearing is scheduled for next month. Caldwell is to self-surrender in October; her prison facility has not been determined.

The Breakdown

• Measure P is a tax initiative approved by Fresno voters in 2018 to fund parks, trails, and the arts. In 2023, the Fresno City Council designated the Fresno Arts Council to administer Measure P grant money.
• Caldwell held the operations manager role from 2021 through February 2026, overseeing the organization’s finances and reporting to its leadership and to the city and county.
• The theft began in 2022 with unauthorized withdrawals, then escalated sharply in 2023 after the Measure P designation — averaging over $80,000 per month at its peak.
• She concealed the scheme by falsifying financial reports that hid the withdrawals and inflated account balances, deceiving the Arts Council’s executive director, board, and city officials.
• The total loss exceeded $1.8 million. Of that, roughly $563,000 has been recovered through PayPal; the remainder is still outstanding.

What This Means for You

Measure P is funded by a tax Fresno voters approved specifically to support parks, trails, and the arts. The City Council’s 2023 decision to route that funding through the Fresno Arts Council was an administrative choice. Over $1.8 million intended for community amenities was diverted to casinos and personal use instead, with roughly $563,000 recovered so far.

What to Watch

The restitution hearing next month will determine the structure and enforceability of Caldwell’s repayment obligation. Fresno voters approved Measure P to fund specific public goods; the city then delegated administration of that funding to the Arts Council. The city’s claim that “our employees did everything right” means the city’s own oversight detected nothing until the Arts Council failed to provide documentation.