Funeral home convicted of six-figure fraud uncovered by son

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SIMCOE – A former longtime funeral director will avoid prison after being convicted of a six-figure business fraud uncovered by his own son.

Paul Taylor, who previously owned and operated Baldock Funeral Home and Southcoast Funerals and Cremation Alternatives in Simcoe, lamented the aftermath of his crimes during a hearing Thursday in the Ontario Court of Justice.

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“I threw a 46-year career out the window,” he said. “At first I thought I was trying to save the funeral home, but now I see that I betrayed people's trust. That's all I can say.”

His son raised concerns about financial improprieties with the Ontario Family Agency, which regulates funeral homes, crematoriums and cemeteries. Authorities suspended the licenses of two of Taylor's businesses in 2020, ultimately uncovering evidence of fraud, theft, forged documents and breach of trust.

Regulators found that Taylor committed fraud worth $386,064.97 over a period of about 10 years.

An agreed statement of facts read in court when Taylor pleaded guilty to fraud last November revealed how he defrauded family authorities out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

They found at least 16 incidents in which Taylor used fraudulent death certificates or told banks he was transferring trust funds prepaid for funerals to other banks, totaling about 14. Up to 10,000 dollars.

At least 29 people were found to have paid about $170,000 in advance for funeral expenses, and the money was used for operating expenses rather than placed in a trust fund, which was illegal.

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Another 73 estates did not receive adequate refunds after adjusting for amounts advanced, interest received and final funeral costs. That came to about $76,765.

Taylor then received a small donation ($270), which was intended for a charity of the deceased's choice, but was never paid.

“It was inevitable from the moment you started that you would be standing here facing this problem,” Judge Robert Gee said. “You were never going to catch up. In that decade, you had to realize that your actions were criminal and could cause harm to people when they were most vulnerable. .”

In a victim impact statement, Gee said a woman said Taylor had accepted funds from her husband months before her arrest “knowing that this 'house on the sand' was crumbling.” He pointed out.

Taylor now owes regulators $386,064.97 after money was paid out to about 100 people by the Survivors' Office, which has a special fund to compensate victims of funeral home fraud. Haven't paid anything.

Assistant Crown attorney Lynette Fritzley said she and defense lawyer James Battin were trying to compensate Taylor, who is almost 70 years old and about to undergo hip surgery, while serving an 18-month community sentence. , said they then reached a joint submission to impose a three-year prison sentence. of suspended sentence.

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“This is probably on the lower end of the fraud spectrum,” Fritzley said, “but he has no prior criminal record and pled guilty relatively early on.”

The lawyer also said Taylor was embarrassed by the knowledge of his actions.

“There is some justice in the community,” Fritzley said. “He was a well-known member of the community. He has faced criticism from the community and will continue to have to deal with it.”

Ms Gee said Taylor's loss of standing in the community was an expected outcome when she decided to commit fraud. “Businesses often fail, so it shouldn't lead to criminal activity to escape the stigma.”

The judge agreed to an 18-month community sentence and one year of GPS-monitored house arrest, but said it was at the “light end” of the range and suspended for three years.

During that time, Taylor will pay $1,000 in restitution on the first of each month.

Ms. Gee pressed Taylor to ensure that she was in control of these payments, stating that failure to pay, “regardless of age, health, or the fact that there is nothing else in the record,” is a violation and can actually send you to prison. He pointed out that there is a possibility.

Taylor can leave the house for work, emergencies, church, and Saturday afternoons, but he can't manage other people's money.

At the end of his probation, after he presumably paid $54,000 to family authorities, the remaining repayments would become a sole restitution order, allowing regulators to pursue civil charges against Taylor.

SGamble@postmedia.com

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