FBI Press Office - @FBIPressOffice (verified)

finfin

FBIPressOffice FAKE FUNERALS, EMPTY CASKETS: A Different Kind of Scam: A financial fraud tale of phony death certificates, staged... <!-- m -->http://bit.ly/aatfcX<!-- m -->
This is going around Twitter and was posted by the FBI Press Office on 3rd September

Unknown

It’s a morbid tale involving phony death certificates, staged funerals with paid actors, and coffins buried with no bodies, but in the end, it’s just a financial fraud scheme like thousands of others we investigate every year.

Earlier this month in Los Angeles, the fourth and final member of an insurance fraud ring was convicted in federal court. Jean Crump—a former mortuary employee—was found guilty of joining three other women in a scheme to defraud insurance companies by filing $1.2 million in phony life insurance policy claims.
Also victimized were several financial assignment companies, often used by funeral homes and mortuaries to advance cash for funeral expenses in exchange for a portion of the deceased’s life insurance policies.

How the scam worked: In one instance, Crump and/or her co-schemers purchased life insurance policies for “Jim Davis,” naming his supposed “nephew” and “niece” as beneficiaries. Mr. Davis conveniently had an untimely demise, and the conspirators created false documents, including a death certificate with a doctor’s forged signature, to collect his life insurance. They also prepared grossly inflated bills for different amounts from a mortuary to cover the man’s funeral and burial costs and wired the bills to two different assignment companies.

Both assignment companies paid the mortuary (one nearly $30,000 and the other just over $16,000), but of course the money went right into the hands of the criminals—the mortuary was owned and operated by Lydia Pearce, one of the four charged in the investigation. And an insurance company paid out more than $230,000 in life insurance to Mr. Davis’ so-called nephew.

The criminals went so far as to purchase a burial plot for Mr. Davis and bury him, without a headstone. But despite the extravagant funeral described on paper for the financial assignment companies—including an ornate casket and elaborate floral arrangements—the funeral was a simple affair, attended by several phony family members recruited to play the part of mourners in case anyone was watching.

Each member of the fraud ring brought her own expertise to the table: Crump and Pearce, with their mortuary experience, knew all there was to know about funerals and death documents. Phlebotomist Faye Shilling knew the ins and outs of filing insurance claims, and notary Barbara Ann Lynn used her stamp to make the fake documents look legitimate.

How the scam unraveled. Two insurance companies began looking more closely at the claims and hired an investigator to ask questions. The con artists were so unnerved by this that they had the coffin supposedly holding the remains of Jim Davis unearthed. They filled the casket with a mannequin and cow parts to ensure the proper weight and then sent it to a crematory. Then, they filed phony paperwork stating that he had been cremated and had his ashes scattered over the Pacific Ocean.

The FBI’s Los Angeles office eventually became involved. Upon closer inspection of the life insurance policies, death certificates, funeral bills, and financial information of the ring members, our investigators gathered the evidence needed to charge the four women—whose scheme ultimately met its own demise.

Unknown

It’s a morbid tale involving phony death certificates, staged funerals with paid actors, and coffins buried with no bodies, but in the end, it’s just a financial fraud scheme like thousands of others we investigate every year.

Earlier this month in Los Angeles, the fourth and final member of an insurance fraud ring was convicted in federal court. Jean Crump—a former mortuary employee—was found guilty of joining three other women in a scheme to defraud insurance companies by filing $1.2 million in phony life insurance policy claims.
Also victimized were several financial assignment companies, often used by funeral homes and mortuaries to advance cash for funeral expenses in exchange for a portion of the deceased’s life insurance policies.

How the scam worked: In one instance, Crump and/or her co-schemers purchased life insurance policies for “Jim Davis,” naming his supposed “nephew” and “niece” as beneficiaries. Mr. Davis conveniently had an untimely demise, and the conspirators created false documents, including a death certificate with a doctor’s forged signature, to collect his life insurance. They also prepared grossly inflated bills for different amounts from a mortuary to cover the man’s funeral and burial costs and wired the bills to two different assignment companies.

Both assignment companies paid the mortuary (one nearly $30,000 and the other just over $16,000), but of course the money went right into the hands of the criminals—the mortuary was owned and operated by Lydia Pearce, one of the four charged in the investigation. And an insurance company paid out more than $230,000 in life insurance to Mr. Davis’ so-called nephew.

The criminals went so far as to purchase a burial plot for Mr. Davis and bury him, without a headstone. But despite the extravagant funeral described on paper for the financial assignment companies—including an ornate casket and elaborate floral arrangements—the funeral was a simple affair, attended by several phony family members recruited to play the part of mourners in case anyone was watching.

Each member of the fraud ring brought her own expertise to the table: Crump and Pearce, with their mortuary experience, knew all there was to know about funerals and death documents. Phlebotomist Faye Shilling knew the ins and outs of filing insurance claims, and notary Barbara Ann Lynn used her stamp to make the fake documents look legitimate.

How the scam unraveled. Two insurance companies began looking more closely at the claims and hired an investigator to ask questions. The con artists were so unnerved by this that they had the coffin supposedly holding the remains of Jim Davis unearthed. They filled the casket with a mannequin and cow parts to ensure the proper weight and then sent it to a crematory. Then, they filed phony paperwork stating that he had been cremated and had his ashes scattered over the Pacific Ocean.

The FBI’s Los Angeles office eventually became involved. Upon closer inspection of the life insurance policies, death certificates, funeral bills, and financial information of the ring members, our investigators gathered the evidence needed to charge the four women—whose scheme ultimately met its own demise.

Well this is not Michael's case...
His insurance wasn't paid out...

Unknown

Well this is not Michael's case...
His insurance wasn't paid out...

yes, that's the point <!-- s8-) -->8-)<!-- s8-) -->

JukeBox

This is really interesting! We know the FBI is involved... with the release of 333 pages of documents, and now a tweet about hoaxed deaths exactly one year after MJ was "buried"? Big coincidence here. <!-- s;) -->;)<!-- s;) -->

hesouttamylife

<!-- s:shock: -->:shock:<!-- s:shock: --> This is an eye opener for some but for people who know that conspiracies happen everyday, it's an "I told you so"moment. Hopefully we will experience a lot of those over the course of the next several months.

Souza

What an interesting article on an interesting date! <!-- s --><!-- s -->

Paid actors, empty casket, bogus death certificates... sounds familiar. Although they make it clear in this articlke that they have been charged for fraud, and indeed, Mike's insurance was not paid out, just cashed in. Same with Elvis, there is still an insurance policy that is still waiting to be paid out, the others were cashed in. No fraud in those cases.

Tink.I.Am

ohh wow.... <!-- s:o -->:o<!-- s:o -->

CC

<!-- s --><!-- s -->
REALLY FBI PRESS OFFICE TWEET THIS?
SOMEONE HAVE THE TWITTER OF FBI?
THANK YOU... BUT IS INTERESTING THAT THIS NEWS IS ON SEPT 3 <!-- s;) -->;)<!-- s;) -->

Unknown

REALLY FBI PRESS OFFICE TWEET THIS?
SOMEONE HAVE THE TWITTER OF FBI?
THANK YOU... BUT IS INTERESTING THAT THIS NEWS IS ON SEPT 3 <!-- s;) -->;)<!-- s;) -->

<!-- m -->http://twitter.com/FBIPressOffice<!-- m -->

trublu

It is strange isn't it how the tabloids all report that the Jackson family are trying to get money (especially Joe) and yet the insurance hasn't been paid out...You would think if he was dead that they most probably would. Even just to give it to charity or something. I am trying to find the original thread where we discuss this and the proof of how we know it has not been paid out.

CC

REALLY FBI PRESS OFFICE TWEET THIS?
SOMEONE HAVE THE TWITTER OF FBI?
THANK YOU... BUT IS INTERESTING THAT THIS NEWS IS ON SEPT 3 <!-- s;) -->;)<!-- s;) -->

<!-- m -->http://twitter.com/FBIPressOffice<!-- m -->

THANKS PUFF! THIS IS ALSO A COINCIDENCE?????

Sternschen87

great news <!-- s:o -->:o<!-- s:o -->

Sangre

Interesting...

curls

I find it rather funny to think of the FBI tweeting!

Does anyone know, are they in the habit of pointing out cases like this via twitter, or is this highly interesting article a first? Don't want to read too much into it, you understand, but it sounds to me like another loose end being tied up, i.e. MJ has done nothing fraudulent, therefore there's nothing to fear 'legally' about him returning, as I've heard many expressing worries about.

finfin

I find it rather funny to think of the FBI tweeting!

Does anyone know, are they in the habit of pointing out cases like this via twitter, or is this highly interesting article a first? Don't want to read too much into it, you understand, but it sounds to me like another loose end being tied up, i.e. MJ has done nothing fraudulent, therefore there's nothing to fear 'legally' about him returning, as I've heard many expressing worries about.

It is the top story on the web site homepage <!-- m -->http://www.fbi.gov/homepage.htm<!-- m -->

finfin

I find it rather funny to think of the FBI tweeting!

Does anyone know, are they in the habit of pointing out cases like this via twitter, or is this highly interesting article a first? Don't want to read too much into it, you understand, but it sounds to me like another loose end being tied up, i.e. MJ has done nothing fraudulent, therefore there's nothing to fear 'legally' about him returning, as I've heard many expressing worries about.

It is the top story on the web site home page <!-- m -->http://www.fbi.gov/homepage.htm<!-- m -->

Sorry I can't seem to get the webpage

Souza

I find it rather funny to think of the FBI tweeting!

Does anyone know, are they in the habit of pointing out cases like this via twitter, or is this highly interesting article a first? Don't want to read too much into it, you understand, but it sounds to me like another loose end being tied up, i.e. MJ has done nothing fraudulent, therefore there's nothing to fear 'legally' about him returning, as I've heard many expressing worries about.

It is the top story on the web site home page <!-- m -->http://www.fbi.gov/homepage.htm<!-- m -->

Sorry I can't seem to get the webpage

Try again, links are fixed now.

curls

Brilliant, yes, both Twitter page and website links are working now. Thanks.

MissG

It’s a morbid tale involving phony death certificates, staged funerals with paid actors, and coffins buried with no bodies, but in the end, it’s just a financial fraud scheme like thousands of others we investigate every year.

Earlier this month in Los Angeles, the fourth and final member of an insurance fraud ring was convicted in federal court. Jean Crump—a former mortuary employee—was found guilty of joining three other women in a scheme to defraud insurance companies by filing $1.2 million in phony life insurance policy claims.
Also victimized were several financial assignment companies, often used by funeral homes and mortuaries to advance cash for funeral expenses in exchange for a portion of the deceased’s life insurance policies.

How the scam worked: In one instance, Crump and/or her co-schemers purchased life insurance policies for “Jim Davis,” naming his supposed “nephew” and “niece” as beneficiaries. Mr. Davis conveniently had an untimely demise, and the conspirators created false documents, including a death certificate with a doctor’s forged signature, to collect his life insurance. They also prepared grossly inflated bills for different amounts from a mortuary to cover the man’s funeral and burial costs and wired the bills to two different assignment companies.

Both assignment companies paid the mortuary (one nearly $30,000 and the other just over $16,000), but of course the money went right into the hands of the criminals—the mortuary was owned and operated by Lydia Pearce, one of the four charged in the investigation. And an insurance company paid out more than $230,000 in life insurance to Mr. Davis’ so-called nephew.

The criminals went so far as to purchase a burial plot for Mr. Davis and bury him, without a headstone. But despite the extravagant funeral described on paper for the financial assignment companies—including an ornate casket and elaborate floral arrangements—the funeral was a simple affair, attended by several phony family members recruited to play the part of mourners in case anyone was watching.

Each member of the fraud ring brought her own expertise to the table: Crump and Pearce, with their mortuary experience, knew all there was to know about funerals and death documents. Phlebotomist Faye Shilling knew the ins and outs of filing insurance claims, and notary Barbara Ann Lynn used her stamp to make the fake documents look legitimate.

How the scam unraveled. Two insurance companies began looking more closely at the claims and hired an investigator to ask questions. The con artists were so unnerved by this that they had the coffin supposedly holding the remains of Jim Davis unearthed. They filled the casket with a mannequin and cow parts to ensure the proper weight and then sent it to a crematory. Then, they filed phony paperwork stating that he had been cremated and had his ashes scattered over the Pacific Ocean.

The FBI’s Los Angeles office eventually became involved. Upon closer inspection of the life insurance policies, death certificates, funeral bills, and financial information of the ring members, our investigators gathered the evidence needed to charge the four women—whose scheme ultimately met its own demise.

WhÖÖt? Ö___________________Ö

Today I passed by a TV with news and the news were about a lawyer who found out that he was DEAD, with certifications and all, since a couple of years.....It was a fraud set up, insurance related made by some people who took a random guy.....

Well, may be is it the time when we can sing "And now, the end is neaaaaar"?? <!-- s;) -->;)<!-- s;) -->

I just HOPE this FBI news are MJ hoax related....I need to rent my padded cell soon....crisis, ya know <!-- s;) -->;)<!-- s;) -->

TinkerbellStardust

That is indeed some ''coincidence'' on this day! I think it's very interesting news. And to me it also sheds some light on the matter that it might not even be that hard to hoax a death and get people involved and manipulated, as a lot still argue in the discussion on whether it was possible for MJ or not. A lot of people argue that it is simply not possible to make it happen with all people and documents needed! But as we have learned it actually do seem to be a lot more ''common'' than one would imagine possible. I think this is interesting news.

DancingTheDream

Hmmm <!-- s:? -->:?<!-- s:? -->

Souza

chloead505

This is VERY interesting! <!-- s:shock: -->:shock:<!-- s:shock: -->

It gives answers to those who were still in doubt about how the hoax could have been done technically. Obviously it's much easier and common than one would imagine!

Plus if FBI is on Mike's side (which we believe they are), ANYTHING can be done. If I thought the 333 pages was a coincidence, I don't think this is...

Unknown

3 September 2010, one year after the burial but also...

3/09/2010--> 3/9=3+3+3(3x3)/2010=3

---

> 3/333/3


<!-- s --><!-- s -->

youngatheart

This is really interesting info. IMO absolutely no coincidence.