An athletics director in her post for less than a year and atop one of the most prominent HBCU institutions in the United States has been arrested.
Angela Suggs, athletics director at Florida A&M University since last September, has been arrested and charged with a litany of crimes, the most significant being "grand theft." Suggs faces two felony charges as well as at least four additional misdemeanors; the felony charges are for the "grand theft" allegation and also for a "scheme to defraud."
Per various reports, Suggs is charged with having more than $24,000 in illicit debts on an business credit card, per the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Suggs, who held a high-ranking position with the Florida Sports Foundation for seven years before accepting the FAMU job last fall, turned herself into authorities at the Leon County Jail in Tallahassee, Florida.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement representatives said that Suggs's charges stem not from her work atop the FAMU program but instead in her previous post as President of the Florida Sports Foundation, which Suggs had touted for its economic impact and fundraising ability in her quest for the FAMU job. They had been investigation her since November 2024, per their press release.
Per officials, "The investigation revealed that Suggs misused her (Florida Sports Foundation) credit cart to make wire transfers and cash withdrawals and personal purchases at casinos during business trips, totaling more than $24,000."
FAMU, which has been in a state of considerable upheaval at virtually all key leadership positions, issued a statement Monday via interim president Timothy Beard.
"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," Beard said per the school's official statement.
The statement did not specify if FAMU has named an interim athletics director or when the school might do so. Suggs had been held in jail pending a bond of nearly $15,000, which was paid in order to secure her release Monday afternoon, per various reports.
Suggs is an FAMU graduate who obtained a master's degree from St. Thomas. Her husband, Davin, also is in a public-facing position in the Sunshine State. He is the Deputy Executive Director for the Florida Association of Counties.