Former Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Marketing Director Pete Fingerhut was sentenced Monday in a Delaware County court to a five-year prison sentence.
Fingerhut pleaded guilty in July to 16 felony counts and one misdemeanor charge stemming from a scheme to defraud the zoo of $2.3 million.
He pleaded guilty to 11 counts of tampering with records, three counts of telecommunications fraud, one count each of aggravated theft and conspiracy and a misdemeanor count of falsification.
As part of the sentence, Fingerhut will pay more than $600,000 in restitution to the zoo, the state of Ohio and the Internal Revenue Service.
On Oct. 14, former zoo CEO Tom Stalf was sentenced to seven years in prison for his role in the scheme. Former chief financial officer Greg Bell received a three-year sentence in August.
In 2021, the zoo temporarily lost its accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, because of fiscal mismanagement and animal welfare concerns.