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A man holds his dog as he rides through San Pablo Park which has support pillars decorated with murals Thursday, July 17, 2025 in Fresno. The murals by a dozen artists from Fresno and elsewhere are a Caltrans-funded project in collaboration with the Fresno Arts Council.<\/p>\n
ERIC PAUL ZAMORA<\/p>\n
ezamora@fresnobee.com<\/p>\n
The Fresno Police Department and the FBI are investigating an embezzlement case at the Fresno Arts Council.<\/a><\/p>\n In a statement to media on Friday evening, the nonprofit arts organization said it was \u201cthe victim of unauthorized financial transactions resulting in the loss of agency funds.\u201d According to the statement, the city, local law enforcement and agency partners were made aware of the incident, which the Arts Council called a \u201cpersonnel issue that is currently under investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n Fresno police department confirmed on Monday that it opened an investigation into the embezzlement and that it would be working with the FBI on the case, but provided no additional information or comment.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very early in the investigation,\u201d Lt. Larry Bowlan told The Bee.<\/p>\n The FBI, for its part, would not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation to The Bee, in keeping with long-standing general policy.<\/p>\n It is not clear how much money was taken, though the news site Fresnoland, which first reported the incident<\/a>, puts the number at $1.5 million, citing anonymous city sources.<\/p>\n This could be a scandal for the city.<\/p>\n The Fresno Arts Council administered public grants set aside by Measure P, the 2018 sale tax that raises money for parks and arts in Fresno. The organization was already under scrutiny for its handling of the grant applications<\/a>, with some 2025 grant recipients having yet to receive their funds<\/a>, according to arts site The Munro Review.<\/p>\n It is unclear if the money taken had any relation to Measure P, but Fresnoland reported that the city terminated its contract with the nonprofit on Friday.<\/p>\n A message to the city to confirm the termination was not immediately returned.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Fresno Bee<\/p>\n