VINTON COUNTY -A man who ran a roadside zoo that was filled with some very exotic animals was sentenced to years in prison last week, PETA is also asking for more penalties surrounding his zoo.
Cyril S. Vierstra, of Wilkesville, or (CY) plead guilty to counts of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, theft in office, and tampering with records, plus a misdemeanor count of dereliction of duty, after stealing $287,500 in public funds to pay for personal expenses, including costs associated with a roadside zoo he operated, was sentenced to 4 years, 11 months in prison Monday, Auditor of State Keith Faber announced.
Cyril S. Vierstra, of Wilkesville, who legally changed his name to “CY” in 2017, also was ordered to pay $339,717.86 in restitution during a sentencing hearing in Vinton County Common Pleas Court. The total includes funds that were stolen and audit costs.
“These public funds should have gone to roads, fire and police protection, and other services taxpayers rely on, not for a twisty slide for someone’s pet primates,” Auditor Faber said, noting one of the improper purchases made with misappropriated funds.
“CY” Vierstra pleaded guilty in October to felony counts of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, theft in office, and tampering with records, plus a misdemeanor count of dereliction of duty, after the Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) determined he had used Township debit and credit cards and checks between January 2016 and July 2020 to fund renovations to his residence and for expenses at the Union Ridge Wildlife Center, a nonprofit wildlife refuge he operated.
He created fake invoices, billing slips, and other fraudulent documents to hide the activities.
SIU, which also served as special prosecutor in the case, identified $287,565.11 in township funds that were stolen, plus more than $18,000 in interest and fees owed to the Internal Revenue Service for unremitted tax withholdings attributable to “CY” Vierstra. The township paid $11,036.63 of the IRS interest and fees, with $7,682.49 still outstanding.
To make matters worse PETA has jumped on board asking for movement on a chimpanzee named Tonka who CY had in his possession that he was illegally in possession of. CY admitted that he kept Tonka from July 2021 to February 2022 after his former owner brought him there in violation of a federal court order requiring that the chimpanzee be sent to an accredited sanctuary. PETA later located Tonka and arranged for his transfer to a sanctuary, where he is thriving, and notes that every other animal exploited by CY deserves the same.
“This brazen animal exploiter has repeatedly shirked the law, and officials need to crack down on him now,” says PETA General Counsel for Captive Animal Law Enforcement Brittany Peet. “PETA stands ready to assist the Ohio Department of Agriculture in finding proper homes for the animals still in CY’s custody, and we urge the public to stay away from his apparently unlawful operation.”
