Below is an official statement from the Florida Division of Financial Services (DFS) regarding the recent arrest of a funeral home director based in Jacksonville.
The Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) secured an arrest warrant for Elliot Maurice Graham, Funeral Director of Marion Graham Mortuaries in Jacksonville, Florida. The arrest warrant was issued by the 4th Judicial Circuit Court following the execution of a search warrant by DFS on mortuary premises. Graham faces multiple charges, including one felony count of Grand Theft and one misdemeanor count of Improper Preservation of a Human Body.
“We are going to do everything possible to put this guy behind bars for a very long time. Nothing is more important than family – and as our loved ones pass away – it’s always a difficult situation, and families are entrusting funeral directors to treat their loved ones with respect and dignity. These allegations indicate that this alleged criminal did the opposite. It appears he stole people’s money, doled out fake cremains, and abandoned a funeral home. We will aggressively pursue this former funeral home director and hold him accountable to the families he’s wronged.”
In Florida, funeral homes and mortuaries are held to the highest standards of respect and dignity when caring for the remains of the deceased. After receiving a complaint alleging the mishandling of cremated human remains, the Division of Funeral, Cemetery, and Consumer Services and Department Police acted to secure the mortuary premises, take proper care of the remains of three human bodies, and work to reunite the bodies with their loved ones. The mortuary grounds are being treated as an official crime scene. As the investigation continues, any additional death services professionals involved in wrongdoing will be held accountable by pursuing license revocation and possible additional criminal charges. This funeral home has operated in the Jacksonville community since 1984.
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