Former Niles funeral director gets three years in prison

WARREN

Robert P. McDermott Sr., a former Niles funeral director who pleaded guilty to 10 felony charges for stealing more than $250,000 from his customers, will spend three years in prison.

On Wednesday, Judge Ronald Rice of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court said it appears that what McDermott did was "kind of like a Ponzi scheme," where money from new customers pays for the services of earlier customers.

Chuck Morrow, assistant Trumbull County prosecutor, told Judge Rice that the thefts totaled about $270,000. He said insurance companies have paid about $110,000 despite having never received the money from McDermott.

McDermott, 52, of Lincoln Avenue in Niles, failed to put money paid in advance for funeral arrangements into insurance policies as he promised.

Some of the insurance companies honored the policies despite McDermott not forwarding the money to them, Morrow said. Other victims possibly could receive compensation through civil suits or through the restitution of $500 per month that Judge Rice ordered McDermott to make once he leaves prison.

McDermott pleaded guilty last month to theft from an elderly person, theft, tampering with records, forgery and violations of pre-need funeral contracts.

The Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors permanently revoked the licenses of McDermott and his Robert P. McDermott Funeral Home on Warren Avenue in July.