A Mattapan funeral director was charged Wednesday afternoon with 278 crime offenses related to his profession, Boston.com has learned.
According to the District Attorney Dan Conley's office, the Mattapan Funeral director charged was identified as Joseph V O'Donnell and he is being accused of stealing $150,000 from his customers while at the same time keeping and hiding human remains and cremated remains in storage lockers.
Authorities found out that O'Donnell's professional license has already expired way back in 2008, according to CBS Local.
However, from 2008 to 2013, he still performed 201 illegal although his funeral home was already subjected to foreclosure.
Investigators on the case also found out that the Mattapan funeral director charged with 278 offences kept at least 12 bodies and 32 sets of cremated remains in a Weymouth storage facility.
Additionally, it was also found out that he hid 45 sets of cremated remains in a Somerville storage facility.
Based on the investigation, eleven out of the 12 human remains the Mattapan funeral director kept were from individuals who died after his license expired.
Prosecutors alleged that clients had paid O'Donnell to bury or cremate the 11 identified bodies, but he never did because he was only after the money.
It was even found out that he gave the families of eight of the deceased persons ashes from different cremated remains. Two of the families have already scattered the ashes before authorities could even recover them, noted BostonGlobe.com.
"Disturbingly, authorities believe O'Donnell provided the families of eight of those 11 decedents with ashes belonging to someone other than their loved one," read a part of statement from the Conley's office. "Two sets of ashes were scattered by family members, meaning only six could be recovered."
Aside from the hidden remains, the Mattapan funeral director was also charged with stealing after he took some money from 31 elderly clients who pre-paid for his funeral services.
"The price of those contracts was as much as $7,000, totaling $149,096.22, and should have been placed in a trust for use when the client passed away," the office's statement continued. "Instead, when asked by investigators where this money was, O'Donnell allegedly said, 'It's all gone.'"
The Manttapan funeral director charged with 278 crime offenses had been held in court custody since April 10. He is due in Dorchester court this Thursday for an administrative hearing on all of the charges.
As per the court documents the break-down of the charges against O'Donnell are:
"12 counts of improper disposal of human remains for allegedly using a Weymouth storage facility to hold decomposing human bodies entrusted to his care"
"18 counts of fiduciary embezzlement and one count of fiduciary embezzlement by scheme for using funeral pre-payments for his own purposes instead of keeping them in a trust under the contract he signed."
"11 counts of larceny over $250 from a person over 60, six counts of larceny over $250 from a disabled person, one count of larceny over $250, and one count of larceny over $250 by scheme for the theft of those funeral pre-payments."
"11 counts of larceny over $250 for failing to have 11 of the Weymouth bodies buried or cremated after taking payment to do so (one body cannot be charged at this time because it has not been identified and no records have been located showing that O'Donnell accepted payment for its burial or cremation)."
"Four counts each of statutory forgery and statutory uttering for falsifying signatures on two medical examiner's certificates and two death certificates and then presenting those official state documents as genuine."
"Two counts each of common-law forgery and common-law uttering for falsifying signatures on two certificates of cremation, which are not state documents but rather records created by crematory employees."
"Four counts of returning a false death certificate; and · 201 counts of acting as a funeral director without a license."
Since his arrest, O'Donnell has been held on $10,000 cash bail for the licensing charges. His lawyer has declined to comment on the issue as of late.
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