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.