Jailed funeral director facing new charges

Jailed funeral director facing new charges

LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) — A former Lancaster County funeral director jailed since February after investigators found decomposing bodies during a search of his business is facing new charges.

Investigators say the new charges against Benjamin M. Siar Jr. come after searches of the former Gundel Funeral Home in Conestoga and another office turned up ashes of three people relatives thought were interred months ago.

The Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era reports Siar was charged Thursday with three counts of theft by deception, one count of criminal attempt at theft by deception and other counts.

Prosecutors say the families reported Siar presented them with an urn supposedly containing the cremated remains of their loved ones.

Siar faces charges that range from theft to abuse of a corpse. A message left with his attorney wasn’t immediately returned.