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Media Contact: LARA Communications 517-335-LARA (5272)
Email: mediainfo@michigan.gov
November 18, 2019 – On October 24, 2019, the Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) issued final orders revoking three licenses associated with the Cantrell Funeral Home in Detroit.
Final Orders were issued against the mortuary science licenses of:
All three of the licensees entered into settlement agreements with LARA that were approved by the Board of Examiners in Mortuary Science.
The Final Order against the establishment’s license revoked it for a minimum of ten years and required it to pay a $115,000 administrative fine within one year.
The Final Order against Raymond Cantrell II’s lapsed license revoked it for a minimum of ten years and required him to pay half the costs of $11,480 in restitution to the State of Michigan before seeking license reinstatement, reflecting the actual costs to store bodies and cremated remains pending their final resting places.
The Final Order against Jameca Boone’s license revoked the license for a minimum of three years and required her to pay the other half of the costs of $11,480 in restitution to the State before seeking the reinstatement of her license.
These actions were taken after LARA summarily suspended Cantrell’s and its manager’s licenses on April 25, 2018, based on deplorable conditions found at the establishment by inspectors and its failure to deposit funds received for prepaid funeral goods or services with an authorized escrow agent. Both Ellis Memorial Funeral Home in Detroit and Kemp Funeral Home & Cremation Services LLC in Southfield assisted the families of loved ones in achieving final dispositions in the immediate aftermath of Cantrell’s closure.
Additional information came to light following that action, including the storage of human bodies in a disrespectful and callous manner in various locations throughout the facility, extremely unsanitary conditions, and the discovery of additional prepaid funeral contract funds not properly escrowed. By then, the building had changed hands via foreclosure due to unpaid property taxes.
The administrative proceeding against the establishment’s registration under the Prepaid Funeral and Cemetery Sales Act - based on violations of that Act - remains ongoing.
Information regarding cremated remains seized from Cantrell and transferred either to Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Detroit or Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly may be found by contacting Charles Verheyden Funeral Home, Inc. Information regarding prepaid funeral contracts originally purchased from Cantrell may also be verified with Charles Verheyden Funeral Home and is the subject of the open administrative proceeding against the establishment’s registration under the Prepaid Funeral and Cemetery Sales Act mentioned above.
In helping the families who had loved ones for final disposition after the state suspended the operations at Cantrell, the following businesses partnered with LARA to step in and provide immediate assistance:
These businesses provided tremendous support and assistance to the families which allowed for LARA to focus on carrying out its regulatory efforts related to this case.
Members of the public who have questions or concerns regarding the operation of Michigan’s funeral homes should contact LARA at 517-241-7000, or by email at funeralhomes@michigan.gov. More information on LARA’s regulation of Michigan funeral homes can be found here.
