A former official of a St. Louis non-profit circus pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud after admitting to embezzling more than $123,000 from the organization over a period spanning December 2022 through at least September 2023.
George S. Pace, age 63 and a resident of Ladue, appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Wednesday for his plea. According to court documents, Pace used credit cards obtained without the knowledge or approval of the circus to pay for personal expenses such as nail salon visits, restaurant bills, and skin care treatments. He also used another card for unauthorized purchases related to horseback riding and additional restaurant payments.
When questioned by another official about charges on the second card, Pace falsely claimed that the card had been stolen and presented forged account statements indicating he had addressed the charges.
In addition to misusing credit cards, Pace diverted checks intended for paying down the circus’s line of credit into his own accounts instead. This diversion resulted in thousands of dollars in additional interest costs for the circus. He also deposited donor checks made out to the organization into his personal bank account.
The plea agreement states that Pace defrauded the circus out of over $123,015.94 during his tenure as a board member beginning in 2020 and later as board president.
Pace further admitted in his plea agreement that he submitted fraudulent applications for two U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance Loans totaling $29,400; both loan applications were denied by the SBA.
Pace is scheduled for sentencing on May 4. Each count of wire fraud carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine up to $250,000, or both imprisonment and fine.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll.
