COLUMBUS, Ohio — A former Columbus Zoo and Aquarium executive was sentenced to two months in jail for his role in a $2.2 million fraud investigation.
Tracy Murnane, 65, will also be on probation for three years and will pay a $5,000 fine. He has already paid $11,000 in civil restitution to the zoo and $90,000 in criminal restitution to the zoo and the state.
Murnane pleaded guilty in July to six felony charges, including grand theft, forgery and telecommunications fraud. He also pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors related to the transfers of vehicle titles.
Murnane is among four zoo executives who were found to have misused zoo funds for personal gain:
- Former Chief Financial Officer Greg Bell was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in the scheme.
- Former Chief Executive Officer Tom Stalf pleaded guilty on July 23 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 14.
- Former Marketing Director Pete Fingerhut pleaded guilty on July 2 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 28.
Grant Bell, who worked with Murnane as a purchasing assistant, pleaded guilty to one count of theft and was sentenced earlier this month to two years of probation and ordered to pay more than $8,500 in criminal restitution.
“The getaway driver is just as guilty as the bank robbers inside,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “Today’s sentence delivers much-needed accountability for another player in the scheme to rip off taxpayers and the zoo.”
According to Yost's office, Murnane profited from the scheme to defraud the zoo, but he ultimately cooperated with investigators and was prepared to testify against the former executives indicted in the case.