Federal prosecutors have accused a former board president of Circus Flora of stealing more than $120,000 from the nonprofit.
A federal indictment filed Wednesday says George S. Pace, 61, opened up a credit card in his name that was connected to Circus Flora’s account and used it to pay for personal expenses. He's also accused of depositing thousands of dollars meant to pay down a loan the circus had taken out to survive the pandemic, as well as checks from donors, into his personal account.
“For decades, the victim organization not only provided local families with wholesome entertainment, it gave away thousands of free tickets to underserved communities,” said Ashley Johnson, the special agent in charge of the FBI in St. Louis, which investigated the case. “George Pace allegedly stole tens of thousands of dollars that could’ve been used to help even more families that are less fortunate.”
Pace joined the Circus Flora board in 2018 and later became the president. That role gave him more access to the organization’s finances.
Circus Flora said it became aware of the fraud in late 2023 and immediately hired an attorney. It says it has taken steps to make sure something similar does not happen again and was grateful that charges had been filed.
“As a purveyor of joy, Circus Flora is eager to move past this unpleasant matter and continue to bring its special brand of magic to the people of St. Louis and beyond,” the organization said in a statement.
Pace is also accused of lying on applications for pandemic relief for small businesses. It was not immediately clear if he received a loan based on those fraudulent applications.
Pace did not have an attorney listed in court records. A phone call to a number connected to him was not returned, nor was an email to an address listed in state business records.
