Former funeral home director accused of defrauding victims of nearly $400K
A former funeral home director is facing a number of charges after allegedly defrauding the families of people who had pre-paid for their arrangements.
Provincial Police Sgt. Peter Leon says the investigation centred on the Watts Funeral Home, a now-shuttered family-run business that had three locations in the central Ontario communities of Wasaga Beach, Midland and Penetanguishene.
Leon says one of the family members on the funeral director team allegedly took money that had been provided by clients who were pre-paying for their funeral arrangements in a bid to make life easier for their loved ones.
He says police began investigating the funeral home in 2013 and eventually uncovered 86 alleged victims who were defrauded of nearly $400,000.