When former Columbus Zoo officials will be sentenced
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Four former zoo officials and one of their children will be sentenced starting next week.
Why it matters: All pleaded guilty to a combined 52 felonies related to their collective theft of nearly $2.3 million from the zoo over a decade and could face prison time, per court records.
The latest: CFO Greg Bell will be sentenced Monday on charges of aggravated theft, conspiracy and tampering with records (12 counts).
- His son, Grant Bell, pleaded guilty to theft and will be sentenced next on Sept. 9.
The other court dates:
- Sept. 23: marketing director Pete Fingerhut, for aggravated theft, conspiracy, tampering with records (11 counts) and telecommunications fraud (three counts).
- Sept. 23: purchasing director Tracy Murnane, for grand theft, complicity, forgery (two counts), telecommunications fraud and false tax returns.
- Oct. 14: president and CEO Tom Stalf, for aggravated theft, conspiracy, tampering with records (12 counts) and telecommunications fraud.
Zoom in: Maximum possible prison sentences per defendants' charges are 38 years (Fingerhut), 37.5 years (Stalf), 33.5 years (Greg Bell), 8.5 years (Murnane) and one year (Grant Bell).
- The state will argue for prison for Stalf and Fingerhut, and their attorneys will argue for probation, according to their plea agreements. There are no recommendations listed for Greg Bell, Grant Bell or Murnane.
What they're saying: Grant Bell's attorney, Stephen Palmer, tells Axios he will ask the judge for "a straight community control probation sentence."
- Murnane's attorney commented only to say he plans to file a sentencing memorandum closer to the September court date.
- Attorneys for the other defendants did not return Axios' emails seeking comment.
Go deeper: How the Columbus Zoo is moving forward from its scandals.