最新杏吧原创

ST. LOUIS 鈥� Federal authorities are accusing the former board president of Circus Flora of stealing tens of thousands of dollars over the course of nearly a year.

George Pace, 61, of Ladue, was charged Wednesday with using the nonprofit circus鈥� credit account to charge thousands of dollars in personal expenses.

He also is charged with diverting to himself circus checks and falsely applying for federal pandemic relief loans, charges say.

Pace, who faces six felony charges, started as the circus鈥� board president in 2022.

Shortly afterward, he received a card connected with a $150,000 line of credit that the circus opened to help weather the COVID-19 pandemic. He used it to go out to restaurants and pay for horseback riding, charges say.

A Circus Flora executive confronted Pace about the expenses, authorities said, but Pace told him his card had been stolen. He said he reached out to the bank to get the issue cleared up, but instead submitted forged account statements, the indictment says.

In addition, charges say, Pace diverted $50,000 in checks from Circus Flora鈥檚 accounts to his own and sent donor payments to his personal accounts. The total cost of the fraud was roughly $120,000, charges say.

Pace also applied for his own pandemic relief loans in August 2022, authorities said. He falsely inflated bank account statements in an attempt to receive nearly $30,000, charges say.

Funding for Circus Flora, which runs in June at the big top on Washington Avenue in the Grand Center area, relies substantially on donations, court records say.

The organization conducts community outreach by helping sick children at local hospitals and providing thousands of free tickets to underserved communities.

Amy Burger, a spokesperson for Circus Flora, said the organization is grateful that the charges were filed and looks forward to getting some restitution.

鈥淲e have been creating magic and memories at Circus Flora since 1986 and we have no intention of stopping now 鈥� we have too many smiles, and oohs, and ahhs, left to give,鈥� Jack Marsh, the circus鈥� artistic and executive director, said in a statement.