The timeline behind Fresno Arts Council's alleged embezzlement

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Staff astatine the Fresno Arts Council rapidly enactment up partitions to shield Action News cameras arsenic we sought answers connected Thursday.

One pistillate who concisely came to the doorway said the enforcement manager was unavailable and had "no comment" earlier locking america out.

The Arts Council is facing scrutiny aft a $1.5-million embezzlement assertion surfaced. A committee subordinate came guardant past week, telling metropolis officials that an worker stole the money.

Fresno Police and the FBI are present investigating.

"For checks that are written, they spell done the mail," Action News Legal Analyst Tony Capozzi said. "For checks and wealth that's transferred from 1 slope to different relationship goes done the wires, and that's each national offenses."

Capozzi explained the forensic audit that officials corroborate is underway.

"The wealth needs to beryllium traced, and by doing that, they tin find whether oregon not the wealth was embezzled, and if the wealth was illegally obtained from the Arts Council and utilized successful different way, that could beryllium wealth laundering," helium said.

The funds travel from Measure P, which voters approved successful 2018. The 30-year income taxation funds metropolis parks, recreation, streets, and the arts.

In August 2023, the City Council agreed to let the Fresno Arts Council to administer the assistance programme to section artists.

In the archetypal cycle, astir $10 cardinal went out. In October 2024, the Arts Council got different $5.7 cardinal for a 2nd circular of grants.

They returned to City Hall a twelvemonth later, requesting a 3rd circular of backing past October. The metropolis denied it, arsenic artists voiced concerns.

"We request to diversify our assistance programme here, arsenic radical are applying for the afloat 50,000 magnitude erstwhile they don't request it," Johannes Renders said successful October. "They conscionable spell for the max magnitude that they can."

Last Thursday, metropolis leaders learned from the committee subordinate astir the embezzlement. On Tuesday, the metropolis announced it had cancelled its declaration with the Arts Council.

"The question past becomes, was determination capable oversight implicit the Arts Council to spot wherever this wealth was going and to spot if it was done properly?" Capozzi said.

Local artists are present demanding answers. They privation to cognize who stole the wealth and erstwhile they volition get paid for the grants they are promised.

"A thorough probe would instrumentality 2 to 3 months to marque definite we cognize precisely wherever the wealth went, however it came in, wherever it went, however it went out, and to whom it went," Capozzi said.

With much questions than answers, the metropolis confirms it volition instrumentality implicit the assistance program.

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