Patrick McClurkin avoids jail time in defraud scheme

WARREN — Patrick J. McClurkin, the younger of the two McClurkin brothers accused of defrauding more than 75 customers of their former McClurkin Funeral Home of Girard, avoided jail time today at his sentencing hearing.

Patrick McClurkin, 49, of Abbey Street in Girard, was taken to the Trumbull County jail after the hearing so arrangements can be made for him to immediately begin to serve 90 days of house arrest.

Judge Ronald Rice of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court also ordered him to make restitution of $204,268 by June 1, 2017.

That is the amount that is still owed to 33 of the victims of the scheme, which involved failing to set aside about $450,000 that the funeral home accepted from customers for "pre-need" funeral arrangements and using the money for their own use instead.

Patrick McClurkin pleaded guilty more than a year ago to five charges that could have resulted in a prison term of more than eight years.

He is obligated to testify against his bother, Robert J. McClurkin, 51, whose case is still pending.