No-show wedding florist accused of scamming Ohio brides arrested, jail records show

No-show wedding florist accused of scamming Ohio brides arrested, jail records show
Published: Nov. 11, 2021 at 12:36 PM EST
Email This Link
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn

XENIA, Ohio (WXIX) - The Greene County florist at the center of a civil lawsuit filed by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has been arrested.

Desiree Pace, owner of Flowers by Des, was arrested Wednesday for failure to appear, according to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office website.

Pace is accused of accepting payments to provide flowers for dozens of events and weddings but not fulfilling the orders, according to court records. This left several brides scrambling for a florist days before their weddings.

In September, Yost filed a civil suit in Greene County Common Pleas Court 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 Pace violated consumer protection laws.

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

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

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

Flowers by Des is no longer in business.

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

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please include the title when you click here to report it.

Copyright 2021 WXIX. All rights reserved.