Former funeral director charged with stealing from pre-need funds

February 5, 2020

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) — A former funeral director is under arrest, accused of selling pre-need funeral contracts without a license and then stealing the money.

Derrick Richardson, Sr. faces charges of grand theft and fraud. He owned Richardson’s Family Funeral Care on South Adams St. in Tallahassee before it closed.

Arrest documents say Richardson sold at least 44 pre-need contracts between 2012 and 2019, though he never had a pre-need care license.

Investigators from the Department of Financial Services say instead of depositing the money into a trust as required, Richardson cashed the checks or deposited them into his bank accounts.

He’s accused of stealing more than $47,000 total. Richardson was arrested Tuesday and released on a $5,000 bond.

Richardson currently works at another funeral home in Tallahassee.