Funeral Fraud and Crime should go right to the criminal prosecutor. If there is to be justice and recompense in these matters felonies must be recognized and turned over to the authorities.
The crimes committee by the Illinois Funeral Directors Association should have gone straight to the prosecutor
When the Cook County Sheriff became involved with the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal the States Attorney quickly became involved. Criminal Charges were filed and SOME of the Felons have been dealt with.
When Comptroller Dan Hynes became involved with the Illinois Funeral Directors Association Funeral Fraud and the IFDA Ponzi Scheme, he hesitated(may be for good reason) and things went to the Civil Courts.
From the State Journal Register.
In lawsuits aimed at recovering IFDA losses, funeral directors say the comptroller didn’t do enough. And state law also says any violation of laws related to pre-need funerals is a Class 4 felony.
Hynes, who hasn’t ruled out pressing for criminal charges, chose to pursue the matter civilly, even though he said the IFDA broke the law by taking the excessive fees.
Comptroller Dan Hynes did not have to place resolution of Funeral and cemetery misdeeds in the civil courts. He could have taken it to the criminal courts right away. It may be just as slow of a solution but it is more dramatic and does more for public awareness. He could have enforced the law.The deeds committed by Burr Oak Cemetery and IFDA leaders were crimes in the State of Illinois.
Funeral Industry|Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy
