Graverobbers? Fake Funerals Performance Payouts

 

Monday, Apr 20,2009, 10:39:32 AM   Click:

Some people will do anything to make money these days, even stage fake funerals for fictitious persons to collect their life insurance money.

Residents of California Faye Shilling, 60, and John Crump, 67, who were arrested last week, the federal charges of fraud, are scheduled to be tried today in Los Angeles over a period of five counts of indictment alleging mail and wire fraud.

During a period of three years ending in January 2007, the two women are accused of fraud against several insurance companies and lending the cash advance to cover the funeral expenses of over $ 750,000, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California.

According to the indictment, the woman bought two life insurance policies for two fictitious persons, and then, after the policy matured, prepared false and misleading evidence of the death to collect documents on policy. The accused went to buy land for burial and to hold funerals.


In one case, they are accused of filling a coffin with different materials to ensure the proper weight, and in another, cremating remains false.

Two other defendants have already pleaded guilty in the scheme which remains under investigation by the FBI, the Office of the Prosecutor of the United States said in a statement.

If convicted of five counts, every woman could face 100 years in prison.

`` This case shows in detail how this clash of white-collar criminals are going to facilitate the fraud,''Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien said in the statement.