It is unknown when the recording was made, but Friday was the deadline that the State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors had given to Hugh Gavin, funeral home owner, to pay a $11,500 fine or face a six month suspension.
The state fine is a result of two funeral services cases the board investigated. In one case, the board decided to impose a previously stayed $1,500 fine from a February 2011 settlement agreement. In the second case, there was an additional forfeiture of $10,000 in a 2012 case in which the funeral home,1508 Valley St., failed to submit the payment for a client’s prepaid funeral arrangements with an insurance company or trust company within 30 days of receipt.
Vanessa Niekamp, the board’s executive director, could not be reached for comment Friday.
The state board, the Ohio Department of Insurance and the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office also are in the middle of an investigation into whether felony charges should be filed against Hugh Gavin and his wife, Michelle.
“We were contacted by both the Ohio Department of Insurance and the State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors concerning the Magetti-Gavin Funeral Home and that investigation is continuing,” said Greg Flannagan, spokesman for the county prosecutor’s office, said last month when the state made the investigation public.
The investigation involves whether the Gavins committed fraud when dealing with at least 18 prepaid funeral contracts the funeral home was hired to handle for 17 individuals.
The state is accusing the Gavins of state and federal violations dealing with how they handled money, their failure to comply with a state board request, investigation or inspection; and for issues concerning the filing of an annual report related to existing funded preneed contracts.
David Jablinski, attorney for the funeral home did not return a phone call by the Dayton Daily News.
The funeral home’s customers can contact the state board for assistance at 614-466-4252.
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