Former Columbus Zoo employee pleads guilty in years-long fraud investigation

A former purchasing agent for the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium pleaded guilty to charges connected to a fraud investigation at the zoo, according to Auditor of State Keith Faber.

On July 2, Tracy Murnane, 65, of Westerville, pleaded guilty to felony counts of grand theft, complicity in the commission of theft of a motor vehicle, forgery, telecommunications fraud, and filing incomplete, false, and fraudulent tax returns.

He also pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges.

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Murnane was initially charged on May 23, according to a previous News Center 7 report.

At the time, Murnane was the fourth Columbus Zoo employee to be criminally charged with felony theft-related offenses in connection to the state’s ongoing fraud investigation, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.

In April 2021, the Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit and the Attorney General’s Office opened a criminal investigation and forensic audit of the Columbus Zoo.

Investigators discovered that Columbus Zoo executives used zoo funds for vacations, vehicles, concerts, sporting events, and more from 2011 to 2021, according to Faber.

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According to a previous News Center 7 report, Murnane sold services from his family’s business to the zoo while working as a zoo purchaser.

While working at the zoo, he sold personal cars using a straw seller and aided former zoo CEO Tom Stalf in using zoo funds to buy a vehicle for Stalf’s personal use.

Court documents indicate that Murnane used a zoo vendor barter system to book a party bus for a family member’s wedding and file tax returns for 2019 without accounting for his fraudulent gains.

In September 2023, former CEO Tom Stalf, former Chief Financial Officer Greg Bell, and former Director of Marketing Pete Fungerhut were indicted on charges in connection to allegedly stealing more than $2.29 million in public funds for their benefit.

Since then, Bell and Fingerhut have pleaded guilty to their charges.

Murnane submitted his guilty pleas during a hearing in Delaware County Common Pleas Court and will be sentenced at a later date.