By Hank Russell
A Baldwin man has been indicted by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) for allegedly performing funeral services for which he was not licensed and defrauding mourning families.
The 20-count indictment, which was unsealed on April 1 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funeral directing services for dozens of decedents at Camelot Funeral Home in Mount Vernon after his license had been revoked. A January 2026 inspection of Camelot by the New York State Department of Health (DOH) discovered 13 bodies in various states of decomposition and 17 boxes of cremated remains.
“Planning a loved one’s funeral can be among the most difficult and vulnerable times in a person’s life,” said Attorney General Letitia 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.”
“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,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald. “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. Through the hard work of the Department’s Bureau of Funeral Directing, the Attorney General’s Office and our local partners, we are sending a clear message that anyone who violates state laws and regulations will be held accountable.”
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 Naughton’s funeral directing license was revoked by DOH’s Bureau of Funeral Directing in 2019.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 January 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 funeral home’s basement. 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 OAG’s Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau (CEFC) 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.
The indictment charges Naughton with three counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (a Class D felony) and one count of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree (all Class D felonies); five counts of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, one count of Attempted Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree (all Class E felonies), 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.
“The people of Westchester have an absolute right to expect that the remains of their loved ones will be treated with dignity by those entrusted with their care,” said Westchester District Attorney Susan Cacace. “The allegations in this indictment are appalling and reflect an alleged brazen scheme to defraud those in the deepest stages of grief.”
Since January 30, 2026, the OAG has been working with the Medical Examiner’s Office at the Westchester County Department of Laboratories and Research to identify and return the remains recovered from Camelot Funeral Home to their relatives. 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.
“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. We stand with those grieving and are committed to ensuring they receive the support, answers, and justice they deserve. There is no place in our city for this level of negligence and disregard for human dignity. The City of Mount Vernon will continue working closely with the Attorney General’s Office and our state partners to ensure full accountability and to protect our community moving forward.”
“First and foremost, our hearts are with the families who entrusted their loved ones to what they believed was a reputable service, only to be met with unimaginable deception,” said Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins. “The allegations outlined in this indictment are deeply disturbing and represent a profound betrayal of trust during some of life’s most vulnerable moments. Westchester County will continue to support affected families, and ensure that every possible step is taken to restore trust, uphold the law, and protect residents from this kind of misconduct.”