Attorney general steps in for Ohioans allegedly scammed by no-show wedding florist

XENIA, Ohio (WXIX) - Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is suing a Green County florist after complaints emerged that the florist bailed on several weddings and other events.

Yost filed the civil suit in Green County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday seeking restitution for 48 Ohioans scammed out of more than $50,000.

“Weddings are meant to be a celebration of love, not a chance for a heartless grifter to leave couples empty-handed and upset,” Yost said. “This action won’t take the sting away from that day, but I vow to help these couples get some payback.”

The suit claims Desiree Pace, owner of Flowers by Des, violated consumer protection laws.

Pace accepted full or partial payment to provide flowers for dozens of events, according to the suit. Then Pace either canceled the contracts within days of the events or failed to appear at the events without notice, the suit says.

Customers were forced to scramble at “considerable additional cost,” while others were left without flowers for their special events, the attorney general’s office says.

Pace allegedly told customers who requested refunds that per their contracts they had to wait 90 days to receive refunds, then misrepresented to customers the status of their refunds.

In nearly all cases, the attorney general’s office says, Pace did not issue any refunds.

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Yost’s office began investigating Pace in July.

Flowers by Des is no longer in business.

Pace has been unresponsive to repeated requests by the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section to make the victims whole, Yost says.

Investigators with the Green County Sheriff’s Office told FOX19 NOW in July that Pace had warrants out for her arrest after she wrote bad checks in 2019.

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