Former Columbus Zoo and Aquarium CEO Tom Stalf pleaded guilty to 15 felony counts for his role in the theft of $2.29 million from the zoo.
The Ohio Auditor's Office said Stalf pleaded guilty Tuesday in Delaware County Common Pleas Court to 12 counts of tampering with records and single counts of theft by deception, conspiracy and telecommunication fraud.
Stalf also agreed to pay $315,000 in restitution to the zoo, the state of Ohio and Internal Revenue Service, the Ohio Attorney General's office said. That amount is in addition to the $400,000 in restitution paid in 2021.
Stalf was scheduled to go to trial in August. He will be sentenced on Oct. 14.
He is the fifth former zoo staffer who was charged in relation to the fraud scheme.
Last week, Grant Bell, a former purchasing assistant for the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, was charged with theft.
Bell, of Galloway, is the son of the zoo's former Chief Financial Officer Greg Bell, and he worked closely with Tracy Murnane, the zoo's former purchasing agent.
Both Greg Bell and Murnane have already pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme. They are scheduled to be sentenced in September.
Pete Fingerhut, the zoo's former marketing director, pleaded guilty to 16 felony counts and one misdemeanor earlier this month. Fingerhut is scheduled to be sentenced in September.
The Ohio Attorney General and Auditor's offices conducted the investigation, which began in 2021.
