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NEWARK –
State Attorney General Anne Milgram is requesting
that the state licensing board shut down two
funeral homes and a cremation service because
the owner of the businesses, whose funeral
director’s license was revoked following
his involvement in illegal body parts harvesting,
allegedly violated terms of the board order
issued in January.
Stephen K. Finley, owner of
the Berardinelli Forest Hill Memorial Home,
Funeraria Santa Cruz and Cremation at a Low
Cost, all located in Newark, allegedly functioned
as a funeral director after the Board of Mortuary
Science revoked his license. Finley was allowed
to retain ownership of the funeral homes and
cremation service but had to employ licensed
funeral directors to arrange for and preside
over funerals.
Undercover investigators from
Consumer Affairs’ Enforcement Bureau
went to one of Finley’s funeral homes
on two separate visits in January and met
with Finley to discuss and arrange funeral
services for two fictitious relatives. Such
alleged activities by Finley violate the Board’s
order since his funeral director’s license
is revoked.
Additionally, Finley allegedly
withheld records of both undercover visits
when Enforcement Bureau investigators came
to his office this month and requested documents
related to all funeral arrangements made after
the Board’s order went into effect.
“Finley knowingly violated
the order of the licensing board and by his
alleged actions demonstrated that his word
has no value," Attorney General Milgram
said. “His funeral homes and cremation
service must be shut to protect the public.”
At least three consumers allegedly
made funeral arrangements with Finley after
his funeral director’s license was revoked.
Finley was served today with
the state’s Verified Complaint and ordered
to appear before the Board of Mortuary Science.
The Board of Mortuary Science
is scheduled to hold a hearing on March 3
to consider temporarily suspending the certificates
of registration for Finley’s three businesses.
Without certificates of registration, the
businesses cannot offer funeral services and
must be closed. The certificates are held
by Finley Funeral Services, LLC, which Finley
and his wife own.
“First and foremost,
our licensing boards exist to protect the
public,” said David Szuchman, Consumer
Affairs Director. “The fact that Finley
allegedly withheld records and tried to hide
his illegal actions speaks to the risk he
continues to pose.”
The Board in January ordered
the license revocation after an investigation
by the Division of Consumer Affairs’
Enforcement Bureau, with the assistance of
the Kings County District Attorney’s
Office and the Food and Drug Administration,
uncovered that Finley was involved in a scheme
to harvest tissue from the dead without obtaining
the proper consent. This tissue was then allegedly
sold and used in surgical procedures.
The leader of the scheme,
Michael Mastromarino, pleaded guilty in New
York to enterprise corruption, body stealing,
and reckless endangerment.
Deputy Attorney General Doreen
A. Hafner is representing the state in this
matter.
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