I-Team: Brides say AG’s office looking into criminal investigation for no-show florist

GREENE COUNTY — It appears the Ohio Attorney General’s Office has an open criminal investigation against a Greene County florist who brides say cancelled within a few days of their wedding or no-showed all together.

In September the Ohio AG’s office confirmed it filed a civil lawsuit against Desiree Pace, saying she scammed more than $50,000 dollars from at least 48 people through her floral business, Flowers by Des. Now, several brides told News Center 7′s Molly Koweek that they got emails from the AG’s office asking them for information to help in a criminal investigation.

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Elizabeth Seitz, of Kettering, said she has pages of documents detailing her dealings with Pace following her June 2021 wedding, a wedding she said she booked with Pace in November 2019.

Seitz said she thought she was taking advantage of a 60 percent off sale booking that far in advance, but now she said she is out more than $1,600.

She told News Center 7 that she decided to cancel on Pace and go with another florist four days before her wedding after hearing Pace had canceled on several brides right before their big days.

Seitz was one of half a dozen people to tell News Center 7 that they received emails from the AG’s office telling them the office was opening a criminal investigation. Her email, she showed News Center 7, came from a criminal investigator with the AG’s office, asking for things like copies of payments, bank statements and conversations with Pace.

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“I was all about trying to do my part,” Seitz said about sending in the materials.

News Center 7 reached out to the investigator from the email, asking him to confirm the criminal investigation. We received an email back from the AG’s office saying it “does not comment on the existence of or details of an investigation.”

Seitz said while no investigation will undo the stress of not having a florist she could count on, she insists something needs to be done.

“It takes a special person to do something like this to someone on what is supposed to be one of the biggest days of their life,” Seitz said.

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