Columbus Zoo Scandal: CFO Sentenced to Three Years

Greg Bell, the former Chief Financial Officer of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium was sentenced to three years in prison today after admitting to his role in a scheme that defrauded the zoo of over $2.3 million. The sentencing comes as part of a broader investigation led by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and the Ohio Auditor’s Office, which revealed that zoo funds had been misappropriated for personal gain by multiple executives. “Greg Bell caved to temptation to enrich himself and his family at the zoo’s expense,” Yost stated following the sentencing. “Let today’s sentence be a warning to those who would dare to rip off taxpayers.” In addition to his prison sentence, Delaware County Common Pleas Judge David Gormley ordered Bell to pay nearly $584,000 in criminal restitution. Bell had already agreed to a separate civil restitution payment to the zoo as part of his plea deal. Bell, who pleaded guilty in October 2023 to 14 felony charges, including aggravated theft, conspiracy, and tampering with records, agreed to cooperate with authorities as part of his plea. His cooperation included testifying against other implicated zoo executives, including former CEO Tom Stalf, former marketing director Pete Fingerhut, and former purchasing agent Tracy Murnane. All three have also pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Prosecutors highlighted the broader impact of Bell’s actions in their sentencing memo, noting the ripple effects when charitable funds intended for community enrichment are misused. “Charities and nonprofits play a crucial role in the state of Ohio, and those entrusted with the operation of these organizations have a unique responsibility to ensure that charitable assets are safeguarded and used to promote the charitable mission of an organization. When these assets are exploited for the personal benefit of executives and high-ranking employees at a nonprofit, particularly a nonprofit that receives taxpayer money, it erodes the trust that the public has in charitable organizations in the state and frustrates the missions of those organizations.”

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