Former Niles funeral director pleads guilty to 10 charges

WARREN

Robert P. McDermott Sr., former Niles funeral director, has pleaded guilty to 10 charges in connection with thefts of more than $250,000 from customers who prepaid for funeral arrangements.

McDermott, 52, of of Niles, will be sentenced at 10 a.m. June 11 before Judge Ronald Rice of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.

Trumbull County prosecutors will recommend a prison sentence of three years, but Judge Rice isn’t bound by the recommendation.

One of the charges related to theft from an elderly person, others to theft, tampering with records, forgery and violations of preeneed contracts.

He was indicted on a 19-count indictment that could have landed him in prison for more than 50 years if convicted on all counts.

The charges allege he took money from more than 50 customers of his former Robert P. McDermott Funeral Home on Warren Avenue and failed to put the money into a trust account or insurance policy as promised.