New York Attorney General Letitia James on April 1 announced the indictment of a Westchester County funeral director allegedly operating as an unlicensed funeral director and defrauding mourning New Yorkers out of thousands of dollars.
The 20-count indictment against Michael Naughton, 55, of Baldwin, New York, unsealed in Westchester County Court before Judge Melissa A. Loehr, charges Naughton with illegally providing funeral directing services for dozens of decedents at Camelot Funeral Home in Mount Vernon after his license had been revoked.
Specifically, the indictment charges Naughton with three counts of grand larceny in the third degree (a Class D felony), five counts of grand larceny in the fourth degree (a Class E felony), one count of attempted grand larceny in the third degree (a Class E felony), one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree (a Class D felony), one count of scheme to defraud in the first degree (a Class E felony), and nine counts of unlicensed practice of funeral directing (an unclassified misdemeanor). If convicted of the top count, Naughton faces a prison sentence of up to seven years.
“Planning a loved one’s funeral can be among the most difficult and vulnerable times in a person’s life,” said Attorney General James. “Naughton heartlessly took advantage of New Yorkers while knowingly operating his funeral home without a license and failed to take proper care of the remains in his possession. I thank my partners in law enforcement for their partnership in holding Naughton accountable and providing some semblance of peace for the families of the deceased.”
State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald pointed out the need for licensed funeral directors for families who lose a loved one.
“New Yorkers have the right to trust that they are receiving the funeral services they paid for and that the remains of their loved ones are being treated with the highest level of care during times of grief,” McDonald said. “The violations and alleged crimes uncovered at Camelot Funeral Home demonstrate why only licensed funeral directors should be entrusted with the care of human remains.”
In New York, no person is authorized to engage in the business or practice of funeral directing, undertaking, or embalming without being duly licensed as a funeral director. Naughton’s funeral directing license was revoked by DOH’s Bureau of Funeral Directing in 2019.
On Jan. 30, 2026, personnel from the Bureau of Funeral Directing conducted an unannounced administrative inspection of Camelot Funeral Home. The inspection discovered 13 bodies in various states of decomposition throughout the facility, including six bodies located in the chapels and three bodies in the detached garage – two of which were stacked on top of one another. Additionally, 17 boxes of cremated remains were recovered from the basement of Camelot.
Following this discovery, McDonald issued an emergency order directing Camelot to cease operations, turn over all documentation related to any human remains in their custody, and fully cooperate with state and local officials to ensure appropriate plans were made for the disposition of human remains.
A subsequent investigation by the Office of the Attorney General’s Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau uncovered evidence that between at least May 2025 and January 2026, Naughton allegedly defrauded dozens of New Yorkers out of thousands of dollars by claiming to be a licensed funeral director at Camelot Funeral Home.
Naughton allegedly negotiated prices and entered into contracts for funeral services, arranged for transport of decedents, presided over funeral services, and oversaw the disposition of bodily and cremated remains – all of which he was not permitted to do without a funeral directing license. Naughton is also charged with forging a burial transit permit, the required document authorizing the transfer of the deceased to the place of burial or disposition.
Anyone who believes they were impacted by this scheme is encouraged to contact OAG at camelot.complaint@ag.ny.gov. James recommends that before New Yorkers make arrangements for the deceased, they verify that the funeral director is properly licensed by checking with DOH. New Yorkers are also encouraged to consult OAG’s Funeral Services: Know Your Rights page for more information.
Attorney General James thanks DOH’s Bureau of Funeral Directing, the Westchester County Department of Laboratories and Research, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, and the City of Mount Vernon for their valuable assistance in this investigation.
“This is a deeply disturbing and heartbreaking situation that has caused unimaginable pain for countless families,” said Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard. “At a time when families were most vulnerable, they were taken advantage of in the most egregious way. My heart is with every family impacted by this betrayal.”
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins was thankful for all who led the investigation.
“I want to thank Attorney General James, our partners at the State Department of Health, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, and the City of Mount Vernon, for their thorough investigation and commitment to holding those responsible accountable,” Jenkins said. “I am especially proud of the work of our Department of Labs and Research and our Medical Examiner’s Office, who have been working with professionalism to identify and return remains to families with the dignity they deserve.”
