Felony Charges a possibility in Illinois Funeral Fund theft-yourfuneralguy

The Illinois Funeral Directors Association has conducted a Funeral Scam where up to 100 million dollars was lost

Felony Charges  could happen in the Illinois Funeral Directors Association Preneed Ponzi Scheme. The former trust administrator Karen Blankenship, admitted this in a deposition in April. The Illinois Comptrollers Office confirmed this.

Funds were taken out of the IFDA preneed trust beyond the amount allowed by law. This is a felony.

From Karen Knowles, the Office of the Comptroller, State of Illinois via the State Journal Register, Newspaper

“We are pursuing civil actions because they are the best way to obtain funds for consumers,” Knowles wrote in an e-mailed response to queries from The State Journal-Register.

“A criminal action in state court is always an option. … The comptroller’s office alerted appropriate authorities of its findings. In cooperation with the attorney general’s office, we have demanded return of $9.6 million in excess fees.”

More of what has been kept from the public is coming into the light.

The IFDA presidents in 2006 and 2007 should be held directly accountable. So Should the Director of the Museum of Funeral Customs.

IFDA:President 2006-2007-Charles Childs Jr, AA Rayner and Sons Modern Funeral Service, aarayner.com/FuneralHome

IFDA President 2007-2008 Geoffrey W. Hurd, Hurd Hendricks Funeral Homes, hurd-hendricksfuneralhome.com

Director Of Museum of Funeral Customs: NFDA Executive Secretary, Randall L Earl.www.brintlinger.com

If anyone else misappropriated, stole or embezzled 2 million dollars.
Where would they be….prison.

What is taking so long?

Collecting from the Folks Funeral money 2 million dollars 2 years in a row is a despicable theft.
Quoting from the State Journal Register Article, Springfield, Illinois:

“Audits commissioned by IFDA show the association collected more than $2 million in fees in 2006 and again in 2007′.”

Funeral Industry |Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Randall L Earl is named here because he is public figure as the National Funeral Directors Association Executive Secretary. He is an ex IFDA President and named in this Scandal in the publication the Funeral Service Insider.

Charles Childs Jr. is a public figure because he is an ex IFDA President and has been named in this Scandal in a February 2008 State Journal Register Article.

Geoffrey W. Hurd is named in this post because he is an ex IFDA President named in the press.

The three are defendants in multiple lawsuit(s).

The gentlemen mentioned here are innocent till proven guilty but given the gravity of the situation, they should not be in leadership roles in the industry. This is your funeral guy’s opinion. Other people in the industry and the press have addressed these matters.

THE IFDA LOGO COMES FROM E_MAILS TO YOUR FUNERAL GUY FROM THE IFDA.

National Funeral Directors Association Exec.named in 4th Lawsuit-yourfuneralguy

The National Funeral Directors Association is giving up it's integrity for one guy.

The National Funeral Directors Association  Executive Secretary, has been named in a  fourth lawsuit  for Fraud. Randal L Earl of Britlinger and Earl Funeral Homes in Decatur, Illinois is on the  executive board of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA).

One individual may eliminate the integrity of the professional organization for Funeral Directors in America. How can the Board of Directors of the NFDA stand for it? How can the CEO of  the National Funeral Directors

allow this?  Certainly Christine Pepper the CEO should be concerned. For one man she is risking the organization? Why risk the same fate as the Illinois Funeral Directors Association

Here is the Link to the latest lawsuit submission.

Here are the names of the defendants listed in the Court Document:

“I.F.D.A. Services, Inc., Illinois Funeral Director’s Association, Linda Allan, James D. Bosma, Kevin Burke, Charles S. Childs, Jr., Mark K. Cullen, Brent M. Davis, Dennis R. Davison, Steven Dawson, Vickie Diedrich, Paul G. Dixon,

Randall L. Earl, Michelle Harrison, Donald Henderson, Geoffrey W. Hurd, Derek S. Johnson, Robert Konzelmann,Jack R. Kynion, David M. McReynolds, Robert W. Ninker, Michael Sayles, Edward Schainker, King Sutton, Eric R. Trimble, Chris Wooldridge, Richard D. Yurs, Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, Inc., U.S. Bancorp and Sikich LLP”

If you hug a Funeral Director make sure he/she is not named in a lawsuit

Take it as you will, Randall L Earl, should resign in the interest of  all the Funeral Directors in the Land.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

You Can view the State Journal Register Take on this lawsuit here.

randall l earl
christine pepper

Have you hugged your funeral director today picture from flickr under the creative commons license from

G. J. Charlet III’s photostream

Merrill Lynch Pays 18 Mil For Role in ILLINOIS Funeral Scam.-YourFuneralGuy.

The Merrill Lynch to pay 18 million to a funeral preneed trust fund that lost 59 Plus Million

Merrill Lynch has agreed to pay 18 million to end a state investigation into their role in Illinois Funeral Directors Scandal. This is according to the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday May 2oth 2009.

Snippet “Merrill Lynch & Co. has agreed to pay $18 million to end a state investigation into its investment services to a troubled trust fund managed by the Illinois Funeral Directors Association, the state insurance division said Wednesday”

Ironically, Merrill Lynch(MLBOT) is the trustee for the IFDA Preneed Trust .

Now this development only causes more questions.

What will happen to the wrong doers who misappropiated funds at the Illinois Funeral Directors Association?

What about the six IFDA EX Presidents of the IFDA listed below who the Comptroller pointed a finger at in Funds Lost from 2000 to 2006. Funds are listed next to the name.

2000 David McReynolds, Marion -[got a $900,000 loan from IFDA Capital, Inc.,}–Wilson- McReynolds Funeral Home (1,235.478.50)

2oo1 Randall L Earl, Decatur, IL current National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) Exec. Secretary. Brittlinger & Earl Funeral Homes (1,032,658.50)

2002, King Sutton, Paris, IL (697,290.75)

2003, Jack R. Kynion, Northbrook, Il (1,974,620.25)

2004, Derek S Johnson, Benton, Il Hobbs Johnson Funeral Home, Inc (1,903339.50)

2005, Brent M Davis, Carlinville, Il Davis- Anderson Funeral Homes (1,687,o39.50)

2006, Charles S Childs Jr. Chicago, IL A.A. Rayner and Sons1,(143,361.25)

Funds were misappropriated to the Museum Funeral Customs, lobbyists including Illinois Senator  Roland  Burris.

What about the role of Illinois Senator Roland Burriss in the mess?

What impact will this have on the IFDA Lawsuits?

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by YourFuneral Guy.

These Ex IFDA PRESIDENTS are mentioned here because they are public figures in this scandal and mentioned in three Illinois Lawsuits. If the money is not paid back, it can be called theft or fraud and these men are responsible. The Comptroller in this letter  stated the amounts misappropriated by year, the year listed is the IFDA Pres.Year on Record

PDF: Read the comptroller’s letter to the IFDA

Revealed Comment on Illinois Funeral scam,-Your Funeral Guy

Funeral Scandal in the land of Lincoln-Illinois

A significant comment was made on last blog post.

“Funeral Guy and Friends,
The plot thickens here in the good ole’ Land of Lincoln.

Regarding the article in the Springfield State Journal-Register the comment from the AARP consumer advocacy lady Nancy Nelson. It would pay Ms. Nelson to do her homework on the facts of the IFDA Trust debacle. She obviously hasn’t a clue what went on and what is going on. She needs to know that we in Illinois do not need any additional oversight, because that is in place and suppose to be done by Dan Hynes and Company (Cemetery Care and Burial Trust Div.) at the Comptrollers Office, who still has some answering to do to those of out here who suffered substantial losses by not notifying us immediately when they saw the potential disaster awaiting us.

Funeral Corruption in Illinois

No doubt the Illinois Funeral and Burial Funds Act needs a serious update. Placing it under the watch of additional regulatory agency(s) IS NOT THE ANSWER. If all of the critics will remember IFDA sent us F.H. owners and account holders earning statements. while Schainker, Dixon, and the Fraternal Brothers and Sisters of the “Secret Society” (Board Members) were playing “Let’s Get The Commissions” of converting cash to insurance and placing us at risk.

It has been said by Hynes’ Office that he felt the Cemetery Care and Burial Trust Div. of his office needed to be regulated by another entity like the div. of insurance or banks and Trusts under the the Department of Finance and Profession Regulation. A Idea I tend to agree with, however I might prefer the IL Secretary of States Office. Anyway, that doesn’t matter right now, Change IS coming, to borrow a line from Mr. O’bama.

I’m going to ask a favor of you and to back off your harsh comments of Duane Marsh. He is walking though a mine field of issues and is being somewhat misguided by the remaining board members of IFDA who have chosen to ignore several resignation requests by it’s membership and stayed on for spite. In the very near future IFDA will have new people (hopefully) in place to try to set a new course and direction for IFDA, and the very people who deserve it, the membership and the families they serve. I think he is calling NFDA to ask for help in getting copies of Trust laws from throughout the land. Maybe Mr. Earl (Randall L Earl, NFDA executive secretary)offered his help, being the all important person he believes himself to be. Just what does Mr. Earl bring to the table of funeral service anyway??? I have yet to hear him speak at meetings of IFDA functions or show any leadership skills that tell me there is a true leader. That old saying comes to mind, “If you can’t dazzle ‘em with brilliance baffle ‘em with B.S.”.

I’ve missed something about our friend Mr. Earl. I see you have him as being is three lawsuits. I know of the Consumer Class Action and the Derivative Suit, what is the third if I can ask?

I just wonder when a Federal Grand Jury is going to take a look at this ordeal.

Thanks for the opportunity to express my thoughts.

Marsellus M710″

IFDA=Illinois Funeral Directors Association

NFDA=National Funeral Directors Association

Funeral Industry Blog |Your Funeral Guy