The owner of a Wichita funeral home has entered into a consent judgment with the Office of the District Attorney.
The District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Division and the Kansas State Board of Mortuary Arts (KSBMA), investigated Robert J. Bethea, Jr. who operated Bethea’s Funeral and Cremations at 615 W. Maple in Wichita. The business closed last year.
The investigation began after the Consumer Protection Division received a complaint from a protected consumer regarding prepaid funeral services that were never performed.
The District Attorney’s Office alleged Bethea violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act by receiving funds from consumers for prepaid funeral services, but failing to remit the funds as part of an insurance policy, failing to provide specific services and failing to issue refunds when the business closed.
While Bethea denied violating the KCPA, he accepted a consent judgment to settle the matter. The agreement calls for Bethea to pay over $28,000 in restitution, $25,000 in civil penalties, additional investigative expenses, and court costs.
Photo Credit: KWCH
