Florida A&M athletic director Angela Suggs, who was appointed in September 2024, was arrested Monday on fraud and theft charges, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Authorities allege Suggs used a corporate credit card for personal expenses totaling more than $24,000 while serving as CEO of the Florida Sports Foundation. Suggs, 55, turned herself in to the Leon County Jail and was later released on a $13,500 bond.
Suggs faces two felony charges — grand theft and scheme to defraud — along with four misdemeanor counts of submitting false claims on travel vouchers. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Suggs made wire transfers, cash withdrawals and personal purchases at casinos during business trips in her previous role.
The investigation into Suggs launched in November 2024 after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) received a criminal referral from the Florida Department of Commerce’s Inspector General. The probe stemmed from an audit scrutinizing Suggs’ business credit card transactions and travel reimbursements.
According to the FDLE, the audit revealed Suggs falsified travel vouchers, mislabeling personal expenses as business-related meals. When questioned, Suggs claimed some charges were legitimate business expenses, while others were inadvertently billed to the corporate card. The FDLE noted Suggs failed to fully reimburse the Florida Sports Foundation for the unauthorized personal expenditures.
“While the matter is unrelated to her duties as an employee at FAMU, we are monitoring the situation and will respond in the future as appropriate,” FAMU interim president Timothy Beard said in a statement to the Associated Press.
The arrest comes less than two months after Suggs made a noteworthy move in April when hiring 1993 Heisman Trophy winner and former first-round NBA Draft pick Charlie Ward to be the next men’s basketball coach at FAMU. Ward was a standout in both football and basketball at Florida State.
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