Photo: Michał Chodyra / iStock / Getty Images
(DELAWARE, Ohio) — A former chief financial officer for the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium was sentenced to three years in prison today for his role in a broader scheme that defrauded the zoo of at least $2.3 million, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced.
“Greg Bell caved to temptation to enrich himself and his family at the zoo’s expense,” Yost said. “Let today’s sentence be a warning to those who would dare to rip off taxpayers.”
In addition to the prison time, Delaware County Common Pleas Judge David Gormley ordered Bell to pay $583,697.44 in criminal restitution. Bell previously agreed to pay separate civil restitution to the zoo.
Bell is among four zoo executives indicted after an investigation by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and the Ohio Auditor’s Office found that zoo funds were misused for personal gain. Bell pleaded guilty on Oct. 19, 2023, to 14 felony charges, including aggravated theft, conspiracy and tampering with records.
As a part of his plea, Bell agreed to cooperate with the investigation and testify against the other zoo executives. Ultimately, former zoo Chief Executive Officer Tom Stalf, former zoo marketing director Pete Fingerhut, and former zoo purchasing agent Tracy Murnane all pleaded guilty. Their sentencings are still to come.
In Bell’s case, prosecutors emphasized in their sentencing memo the ripple effects that occur when charitable dollars 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.”
The Ohio Attorney General’s Special Prosecution Section led the prosecution at the request of Delaware County Prosecutor Melissa Schiffel.