ST. LOUIS - U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Wednesday sentenced a former St. Louis circus official to 22 months in prison and ordered him to repay $130,905.

George S. Pace, 63, was on the board of directors of the nonprofit circus beginning in 2020 and later became board president. From December 2022 through at least September 2023, he stole from the circus in multiple ways. He used a credit card that he'd obtained without the knowledge or approval of the circus to pay thousands of dollars of personal expenses, including payments to nail salons, restaurants, and for skin care treatments. He used a second card for more unapproved expenses, including horseback riding related expenses and for restaurant meals. When another circus official reviewed the second card's expenses, Pace lied and claimed the card had been stolen. Pace presented the official with forged account statements falsely showing that he had resolved the charges.

Pace also diverted checks drawn on the circus' bank account to himself instead of using them to pay down a line of credit. Pace's diversion of the line of credit payments caused thousands of dollars in interest to be accrued by the circus.

Finally, Pace deposited thousands of dollars of donor checks made out to the circus into his personal account. In the plea agreement, Pace admitted defrauding the circus out of over $123,015. He also will be responsible for repaying fees and interest to two banks totaling $7,889.

Pace also fraudulently applied for two U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Assistance Loans totaling $29,400. The SBA denied the loans.

In court Wednesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll said defrauding a nonprofit was "one of the most offensive types of frauds," and represented years of deliberate acts by Pace.

Pace, of Ladue, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to four counts of wire fraud.

The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll prosecuted the case.