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Tallahassee, Florida — A high-ranking official at one of Florida’s historically Black colleges is now facing a barrage of criminal charges tied to her previous role at a state-affiliated nonprofit.
Angela Adams Suggs, the current Vice President and athletic director at Florida A&M University, has been charged with multiple felonies and misdemeanors for what authorities say was the misuse of a company credit card during her tenure as CEO and President of the Florida Sports Foundation (FSF).
FSF, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is tasked with boosting Florida’s sports economy through programs and events that support professional, amateur, and recreational athletics.
The FDLE began its investigation in November 2024 following a criminal referral from the Florida Department of Commerce, which oversees FSF’s contract with the state.
In a press release, FDLE alleged that Suggs made unauthorized cash advances using her company credit card during multiple FSF business trips. These transactions, allegedly conducted at casinos across the country, were then mischaracterized in expense reports as accidental or business-related.
ABC 27 in Tallahassee, citing a probable cause affidavit, reports that 23 transactions—totaling $23,205.56—were flagged as fraudulent. FDLE officials stated the amount exceeded $24,000, though some funds were reportedly repaid before charges were filed.
Two of the credit card transactions took place in August 2022, while the rest occurred between February and August 2024. Each charge was made at one of three different casinos, with amounts ranging from $112.99 to $1,619.25.
Suggs was charged with felony grand theft and scheme to defraud as well as four counts of misdemeanor false claims on travel vouchers. On June 9, Suggs surrendered voluntarily and was arraigned on a $13,500 bond. After several hours in custody, the bond was paid, and Suggs was released.
One day after her arrest, on June 10th, Florida A&M University placed Suggs on paid administrative leave. The university has not released further comment regarding her future at the institution.
Suggs released a statement on the same day, saying her current legal woes “are entirely unrelated to Florida A&M University or [her] current role.” Suggs also said that she would be fighting the charges and appreciated any support:
“Regarding the charges recently brought against me in connection with my previous place of employment, I want to make it clear that these matters are entirely unrelated to Florida A&M University or my current role.
I am fully committed to addressing these allegations through the appropriate legal channels. I regret the distraction caused, and I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support, fervent prayers, and continued encouragement I’ve received during this most difficult time. I remain focused, resilient, and committed to our shared goals and determined to fulfill our ongoing, planned, and collective success.”
Florida A&M University is known as an HBCU, or Historically Black College and/or University. HBCU’s were legally defined during the Civil Rights Era as culturally affirming to their pre-integration, Black-only roots, but were no longer permitted to be racially exclusive.
Black people are often overrepresented as suspects in fraud cases. Florida is no exception. In the last five years of Florida arrest data where race is specified, over one in three “Credit Card/Automated Teller Machine Fraud” suspects were Black. According to US Census Bureau estimates, just under one in six Floridians are Black.
Multiple investigations performed by the Justice Report into fraud schemes of varying complexity have also demonstrated this very same racial disparity. Additionally, it has become clear that the Black communities’ open celebration of theft through fraud is at least partially responsible for this trend
In May 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice and FBI deferred prosecution to Ivory Coast authorities after arresting four Ivorian men for operating a transnational sextortion ring.
The scheme, which victimized thousands (primarily Westerners), was linked to the suicide of 17-year-old Ryan Last, a White teen from California. The case highlighted a broader cultural trend in Ivory Coast, where scamming Westerners is not only widespread but celebrated.
An entire subgenre of African music, coupé-décalé, openly glorifies defrauding White victims, with early-2000s music videos flaunting luxury goods and cash obtained through online scams. As far back as 2007, researchers like Dominik Kohlhagen documented how Ivorian fraudsters framed their crimes as a method of “reinvesting” in their communities.
In September 2024, viral videos spread among Black communities online purporting to show an “infinite money glitch” that purported to allow users to exploit Chase Bank ATMs for unlimited cash.
One widely circulated clip showed a group of Black males throwing two handfuls of cash into the air in front of a Chase branch, while another video captured a long line of Black people inexplicably waiting in line at a Chase ATM in New York City.
The scheme involved depositing fake checks for large amounts and withdrawing funds before the banks could fully process the transactions. Though participants promoted it as a technical loophole, financial experts and law enforcement later confirmed it was simply a digital repackaging of traditional check fraud, warning that those involved would likely face serious legal and financial consequences.
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