Former Columbus Zoo CFO Greg Bell sentenced to three years in prison for fraud

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Greg Bell, the longtime CFO of the nonprofit Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, was sentenced to three years in the Ohio State Prison for his role in the theft of nearly $2.3 million over a 10-year period. In October 2023, he was indicted and pleaded guilty to 12 counts of tampering with evidence and one count of grand larceny.

His guilty plea includes a $583,697 restitution payment, a $10,000 fine and court costs. He was the first manager in the case to be convicted and can be released in six months. In addition, according to the court, his confession and testimony will be used against his former colleagues who are also charged.

Bell is one of four zoo executives charged after an investigation found zoo funds were misused for personal gain. Former CEO Tom Stalf, former marketing director Pete Fingerhut and former zoo buyer Tracy Murnane were also charged in connection with the state-led investigation:

• On July 2, Fingerhut pleaded guilty to 16 felonies and one misdemeanor. As part of the agreement, he will pay more than $675,000 in restitution.
• Stalf pleaded guilty to 12 counts of tampering with records and one count of theft by deception, conspiracy and telecommunications fraud. Sentencing is scheduled for October 14.
• Murnane's sentencing is scheduled for September 23.
• Bell's son, Grant Bell, who worked closely with Murnane at the zoo as a purchasing assistant, pleaded guilty to one count of theft as part of the fraud investigation and is due in court on September 19.

“The objections of co-defendants Stalf and Fingerhut were made more likely by this defendant's cooperation,” Kasaris, special prosecutor in the Ohio Attorney General's Office, said in court documents.

However, Kasaris did not downplay Bell's role. “The stench that created this criminal enterprise and infected the zoo would not have been created without the CFO's involvement in it,” Kasaris wrote in his ruling.

Details of the crime include the suppression of business partners, concert wish lists and professional sports, among others. Fingerhut is accused of threatening to damage a supplier's relationship with the zoo if he was not personally paid. Other executives, including Greg Bell, are accused of trading zoo tickets for MLB World Series tickets in 2016.

The Columbus Zoo is one of only two employers for which Bell has ever worked in finance and accounting, according to his LinkedIn profile. Before joining the zoo as a controller in 1991, he worked for Crowe Chizek for nearly a decade as a senior audit manager.

Details of Bell’s actions include:

• Repeatedly used cash from exchange accounts—intended for zoo operating expenses—for himself and his children, including for antiques, tickets to professional sporting events, alcoholic beverages, and food.
• Bell's family sent him zoo email “wish lists” for concerts at Nationwide Arena and Schottenstein Center.
• Bell's son lived rent-free in a house at the zoo.
• Used Zoo credit cards for personal purchases.

Failure of financial controls

It is still unclear what role Bell played in the plot. His actions did not indicate he would let up or expose his counterparts until his resignation in 2021 following a joint investigation and forensic review by the Ohio Attorney General's Office and the State Department's Special Investigations Unit.

However, Bell and his colleagues incorporated their fraud into their business communications, creating a paper trail for their crimes. Bell attempted several cover-ups, including stating in official reports that zoo funds he spent on his personal life were for advertising or promotion.

The lack of recognition by the Board of Directors and the fact that there are not enough internal clues to clarify the incidents given the large number of people involved could possibly be an indication that the zoo lacks an appropriate organizational culture, especially on the part of management.