DELAWARE, Ohio — The fifth and final defendant, Grant Bell, has been charged with a crime related to the Columbus Zoo fraud investigation, according to a press release from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.


What You Need To Know

  • The fifth and final defendant has been charged with a crime related to the Columbus Zoo fraud investigation

  • Grant Bell was only charged with a single count of theft, which is a fifth degree felony

  • He is the son of Greg Bell, the former chief financial officer at the zoo, who has pleaded guilty to 14 felonies and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 19

  • Other defendants—in addition to the father and son—include Tom Stalf, the zoo’s former CEO; Pete Fingerhut, the zoo’s former marketing director; and Tracy Murnane, the zoo’s former purchasing agent

He was only charged with a single count of theft, which is a fifth degree felony.

“The charge was filed as a bill of information in Delaware County Common Pleas Court,” the release reads. “A bill of information is a formal accusation of a crime issued by a prosecutor and presented to a defendant; it serves the same function as an indictment issued by a grand jury in felony cases.”

He is the son of Greg Bell, the former chief financial officer at the zoo, who has pleaded guilty to 14 felonies and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 19.

An indictment back in September accused three executives at the zoo “of stealing more than $2.29 million in public funds for their own benefit.” A fourth former employee was also charged with felonies later. Bell is now the fifth.

Other defendants—in addition to the father and son—include Tom Stalf, the zoo’s former CEO; Pete Fingerhut, the zoo’s former marketing director; and Tracy Murnane, the zoo’s former purchasing agent.

Greg Bell, Fingerhut and Murnane have all pleaded guilty to the various crimes they’ve been charged with and are awaiting sentencing in September. Stalf is set to start trial on Aug. 6.

“The Ohio Attorney General’s Office was appointed to prosecute the case at the request of Delaware County Prosecutor Melissa Schiffel,” the release reads. “The Ohio Auditor’s Office is assisting in the investigation and prosecution.”