Former funeral home owner gets 20 years

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) -- A former Woonsocket funeral home owner has pleaded guilty to thirty counts of embezzlement in a pre-paid funeral services scheme. Rhode Island's Attorney General is calling it a despicable act of greed, and said Todd Lauzon betrayed families during their time of mourning.

For three generations, the Lauzon funeral home on Spring Street was there for countless families. But, according to the attorney general's office, from 2002 thru 2009, the owner at the time, Todd Lauzon, 39, ran a scheme that scammed at least thirty victims.

"The individuals who bought these funeral services from the Lauzon funeral home bought them specifically because they believed they could trust their friend, and somebody they had known for three generations," said Amy Kempe, spokesperson for the Rhode Island Attorney General's office.

According to the A.G.'s office, Todd Lauzon accepted money from people for pre-paid funeral services, but later submitted fraudulent documentation on behalf of the clients, terminated contracts and converted the funds for his own use.

"This is not the case of a fraudulent pre-paid funeral service," said Kempe. "This is a case of a criminal act by a funeral home owner who stole money from the people that thought they could trust him."

Kempe said many of the people who bought the pre-paid funeral services have died, but Lauzon was ordered to repay each and every one of the survivors and living victims The amount exceeded $137,000.

Todd Lauzon was sentenced to 20 years, with four to serve. He'll start serving that sentence on Sept. 10.

The funeral home on Spring Street is now under new ownership.