Douglas "Dusty" Harrison was convicted and sentenced to 12 months in jail on 43 counts of theft for selling pre-need funeral and cemetery contracts and keeping approximately $250,000 in consumer funds without depositing them into required trust accounts.

Harrison Funeral Home — Pre-Need Fund Theft (Alabama)

Outcome: Douglas "Dusty" Harrison was convicted and sentenced to 12 months in jail on 43 counts of theft for selling pre-need funeral and cemetery contracts and keeping approximately $250,000 in consumer funds without depositing them into required trust accounts.

Douglas "Dusty" Harrison operated a funeral home in Alabama where he sold pre-need funeral and cemetery service contracts to families. Pre-need contracts allow consumers to prepay for funeral services, with funds required by Alabama law to be deposited into regulated trust accounts until services are rendered.

Harrison collected payments from at least 43 customers but sold pre-need contracts with disregard for state law, failing to deposit approximately $250,000 in consumer payments into the required trust accounts. When families attempted to use their prepaid contracts, the funds were unavailable. Harrison was convicted on 43 counts of theft and sentenced to serve 12 months in jail.

Primary Source: Alabama Preneed: Douglas 'Dusty' Harrison was sentenced to 12 months for stealing preneed money