A Visalia Police Department captain has been charged with multiple financial crimes in connection to nearly $50,000 allegedly being stolen from a police youth program, officials announced.

Captain Luma Fahoum, 51, faces felony grand theft by embezzlement, four felony counts of grand theft, and one misdemeanor count of petty theft, Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward said. The charges were filed Friday.

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Prosecutors allege Fahoum misused funds intended for the Visalia Police Department’s Explorers Post program, spending the money at casinos, gas stations, and retail stores between 2017 and 2023. Fahoum had access to the program’s bank account and frequently acted as a liaison for donor contributions, officials said.

The Visalia Police Department reported the suspected crimes to the District Attorney’s Office, prompting an investigation launched Sept. 30, 2024. Investigators executed 26 search warrants covering nine financial institutions and multiple internet service providers.

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A search of Fahoum’s Visalia home was conducted Jan. 16, 2025, with assistance from the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office.

Authorities also obtained records from four California casinos and two Las Vegas casinos as part of the investigation.

Fahoum surrendered Friday evening to the Taft Police Department in Kern County on an active Tulare County arrest warrant. She was booked and released on $100,000 bail. An arraignment is scheduled for May 22 in Tulare County Superior Court.

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If convicted, Fahoum faces up to three years in jail and will be required to pay restitution, prosecutors said. Under current law, the charges are not eligible for a state prison sentence.

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