Former Columbus Zoo CFO Greg Ball sentenced to three years in prison

The first of five convicted former Columbus Zoo and Aquarium employees – three of them top executives – will serve three years in prison for his role in a multi-year conspiracy that defrauded the zoo and taxpayers of nearly $2.4 million.

On October 19, Bell pleaded guilty to 14 counts he was charged with last year, including conspiracy, grand theft and 11 counts of falsification. He faced a maximum of 33 1/2 years in prison, and Gormley was required to serve each sentence of more than $20,000 consecutively.

Instead, Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge David Gormley imposed a concurrent sentence, meaning he will go to prison for the most serious crime, a second-degree felony.

Bell was the first to plead guilty and cooperated fully with prosecutors in presenting evidence against other zoo managers who had used public money and property for private gain. His sentence will likely serve as a benchmark for Gormley in sentencing the others.

Bell also used the zoo's credit cards to make a number of personal purchases. He covered up the fraud by altering the credit card usage forms to pass off the stolen funds as advertising funds or “advertising support.”

Gormey described the crimes as a “covert conspiracy” to defraud the zoo between 2011 and 2021.

Bell, 64, called his actions “completely immoral.”

“The zoo was an important part of my life for almost 29 years,” he said, beginning to cry. “I completely violated my duty of care.”

“I succumbed to terrible temptations and knew that my actions were wrong.”

“The tickets were very nice and I started asking for more and more events,” Bell wrote in a pre-sentence deposition. Bell's children, 30, 33 and 38, hugged their father and each other after the verdict.

Other persons to be convicted:

Former CEO Tom Stalf is accused of 36 serious crimes and sentencing is scheduled for October 14.
Pete Fingerhut, former marketing director, pleaded guilty to 16 felonies and one misdemeanor. Sentencing is scheduled for September 23.
Tracy Murnane, a former shopper, pleaded guilty to six felonies and two misdemeanors on July 8. He will be sentenced on September 23.
Grant Bell, a former shopping assistant and son of Greg Bell, is charged with theft, a fifth-degree felony. Sentencing is scheduled for September 9.

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