Authorities: Former Delaware County funeral director arrested, charged with theft
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
MEDIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- The former director of a well-known funeral home in Delaware County was arrested for stealing money from customers who thought they were pre-paying for the burial of family members.
William O'Leary, of the O'Leary Funeral Home in Springfield, is accused of defrauding the business of nearly $900,000.
Prosecutors say, for nearly a decade, he pocketed money meant for the pre-paid burial funds.
A former employee, Mary Alice Kelly, who now lives with O'Leary, was also charged in the scheme.
O'Leary Funeral Home released the following statement to Action News on Tuesday morning:
Statement of O'Leary Funeral Home
We are a small family business that has served our Delaware County community with respect and dignity for more than 40 years. We view these events as nothing less than a betrayal of our family's reputation.
We first learned about this theft nearly 18 months ago, and we reported it to the proper authorities. We have been cooperating with law enforcement from the start, and we intend to see that justice is done in this case.
At the same time, we want to assure our community that the O'Leary family will continue to honor all of our funeral contracts and obligations. We really appreciate the tremendous support that we have received from the families we serve all over the area, and we want them to know we intend to be here for many years to come.
We are a small family business that has served our Delaware County community with respect and dignity for more than 40 years. We view these events as nothing less than a betrayal of our family's reputation.
We first learned about this theft nearly 18 months ago, and we reported it to the proper authorities. We have been cooperating with law enforcement from the start, and we intend to see that justice is done in this case.
At the same time, we want to assure our community that the O'Leary family will continue to honor all of our funeral contracts and obligations. We really appreciate the tremendous support that we have received from the families we serve all over the area, and we want them to know we intend to be here for many years to come.
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