Suliana Caldwell, the former operations manager for the Fresno Arts Council, has pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges, admitting she embezzled approximately $1.8 million from the nonprofit arts organization to gamble at local casinos and pay for personal vacations.

The plea agreement, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, reveals Caldwell made over 300 unauthorized wire transfers from the Fresno Arts Council’s bank accounts to her personal PayPal and bank accounts between June 2022 and February 2026. The thefts accelerated significantly in 2023 after the organization received millions of dollars in Measure P funding meant to support local arts groups.

Federal prosecutors say Caldwell used the stolen funds for improper personal expenses including gambling at local casinos, vacations and other personal spending. In one instance on July 9, 2024, she transferred approximately $58,750 from the Arts Council’s accounts in a single day.

To conceal the scheme, Caldwell abused her position by creating false financial reports that she submitted to the organization’s executive director, board members, and the City and County of Fresno. She altered and misreported financial figures to make it appear no unauthorized transfers were occurring while she was taking the funds for herself.

The plea agreement caps restitution at $1.8 million — a figure $300,000 higher than initial estimates reported in February when the investigation first became public. Prosecutors initially stated the loss at $1.5 million.

Caldwell confessed to the crimes during a March 26, 2026 meeting with the Fresno Police Department and FBI.

Under the terms of her plea deal, the government will recommend a sentence in the middle of the applicable federal sentencing guidelines, three years of supervised release, and full restitution. She faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, though actual sentencing will be at the court’s discretion. No fine or forfeiture is recommended as part of the agreement.

The theft left dozens of local artists and cultural organizations waiting for promised Measure P grant funding that never materialized.