No Halo News · Sourced development
Former Columbus Zoo chief executive receives seven-year prison sentence for fraud
Former chief executive Tom Stalf was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to 15 felonies. Ohio's attorney general said the wider scheme defrauded the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium of at least $2.3 million. Stalf was ordered to pay $315,572.65 in criminal restitution to the zoo, Ohio and the Internal Revenue Service, in addition to $400,000 already paid on his behalf. The zoo was the victim of the scheme.
Status matters. This page records a sourced development, not a completed No Halo investigation. An allegation is not a finding. Dismissals, settlements, judgments, corrections and final outcomes remain distinct.
Donor relevance
Why this matters
The sentence documents a major failure of executive stewardship and an enforceable restitution outcome. The state auditor identifies the affected operator as Columbus Zoological Park Association, and IRS-derived records confirm its EIN.
Classification
How No Halo records this event
Event type: Judgment. Current state: Reported. No Halo preserves the current procedural state rather than treating every mention as a finding.
Published October 14, 2024 · Last verified September 10, 2026. See an error or a later outcome? Submit a correction or right of reply.