Funeral home director; Prepaid funeral funds missing
(Archived article @ Newsbank)
Becky Coursey ~ News-Democrat & Leader (Russellville, Logan County, KY) ~ 10/7/2005
Timothy D. Hanna, 46, of Russellville has been arrested by the Kentucky State Police and charged with two counts of Theft by Deception over $300.
He was lodged at the Logan County Detention Center on a $30,000 surety bond set by Logan Circuit Judge Tyler Gill. He was released Wednesday at 1:15 p.m. after a family member, Richard Hanna, put up the bond. Tim Hanna is the owner and mortician of Memorial Funeral Home.
In November 1998, Tim and Cindy Hanna bought Memorial Funeral Home. Cindy's late father had operated a funeral home in Russellville, known as Mayfield Funeral Home, from 1959-1977. Mayfield later became part of Memorial.
Hanna was picked up Monday night in Louisville by the Kentucky State Police and transported to Warren County. Then he was transported by Logan County Sheriff Wallace Whittaker on Tuesday and brought to the Logan County Detention Center.
Allegedly, Hanna was withdrawing money from the Funeral Trust Fund of Kentucky. People paid Hanna for pre-arranged costs of their funeral, which he was supposed to deposit into this fund. In some cases, allegedly, the money never made it into the fund. In other cases, all or part of the money was deposited, but fake death notices were sent to the funeral fund for the money to be withdrawn. People who are alive and perfectly well have found out that they are dead in the eyes of the funeral fund, their money gone.
Charles Orange, Logan-Todd commonwealth attorney, issued the following statement Tuesday:
"Anyone who believes that they or a family member should have a prepaid or prearranged Funeral Fund with Memorial Funeral Home in Russellville may wish to contact directly the trust company listed in the documents provided to determine the status of the trust account. If you have further concerns or have receipts or canceled checks but no trust documents, you may wish to contact Detective Childers at the KSP (Kentucky State Police) in Bowling Green at 270-726-2010, or the Office of the Attorney General of Kentucky at 502-696-5389, or the office of the Commonwealth Attorney, Charles Orange, in Russellville, at 726-4300."
"The Office of the Attorney General has notified the local Commonwealth Attorney's Office that they also are looking into the matter since state law requires each trust account be registered with their office."
"This investigation only concerns prepaid/prearranged funeral plans and trust funds acquired through Memorial Funeral Home in Russellville and does not involve any other funeral home, nor does it involve any of the previous owners and operators of Memorial Funeral Home. It concerns the assets in the prepaid funeral funds only."
A preliminary investigation shows a limited number of individuals have been reported to the trust company as deceased when they are not.
"It appears he (Hanna) received prepaid funeral trust fund money," said Orange. They are currently aware of 18 victims, but there could be many more.
When contacted, Vicki Glass, spokeswoman for Attorney General Greg Stumbo, stated, "I cannot comment on this case as it is part of an ongoing investigation."
A Bowling Green news piece, Russellville Funeral Home Director Arrested, detailed the toll Hanna's crimes have had on some of his victims.
Russellville's Kees Family had a long history with the Hannas, and Tim said he'd be honored to help prepare the body of Sheila Kees' husband when he died of heart failure earlier in the year. Both her husband and father would "probably turn over in [their] grave[s]" to know Hanna would end up stealing about $3,000 of her and her husband's hard-earned money, which they responsibly turned over to a trusted associate without a second thought. The Kees may never even have known about the Kentucky's Funeral Funding Trust or the legal obligations of funeral directors (who worries themselves with such details but industry folks, taphophiles, and seasoned victims?). Sheila doubts she'll ever see her money returned, and feels compelled to deal even with long-time family friends in a cautious manner in the future (not a terrible idea...in fact, I'd say the majority of small claims court judges would overwhelmingly suggest just that...but not the point).
Another victim doubtful of ever seeing her hard-earned money again is Darlene Ferguson, owner of the Hickory Hill Florist shop which Hanna often used.
A Kentucky State Police press release issued out of Bowling Green on October 5 includes some additional details captured in later news articles and blog entries, and specifies Detective Jaman Childers as the lead investigator.
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