A judge sentenced a former Simcoe funeral director and funeral home owner to 12 months house arrest and ordered him to pay restitution to the Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO) after mishandling prepaid funds.
In 2020, BAO inspectors started investigations into irregularities related to prepaid funerals at the two establishments owned by Paul Taylor, The Baldock Funeral Home and South Coast Funeral & Cremation Alternatives in Simcoe. Taylor ‘s license and the licenses for the two establishments were suspended at the that time.
Yesterday, Taylor received an 18-month conditional sentence after he pled guilty to a charge of fraud over $5,000 under the Criminal Code of Canada, with the first 12 months being under house arrest wearing a global positioning system (GPS) device. This will be followed by three years of probation.
Taylor was also ordered to pay restitution of $386,064.97 to replenish the BAO Compensation Fund. The Fund was established to compensate consumers who have suffered a financial loss as a result of a licensed funeral professional mishandling prepaid funds. The compensation fund has reimbursed about 100 people affected in this matter.
The ruling orders Taylor to pay a minimum $1,000 a month back to the BAO Compensation Fund for the duration of the restitution order. Failure to meet the minimum payments could result in jail time, the judge told Taylor in court. The remainder of the ordered restitution is due on the first day of the 54th month of the restitution order period.
Written by Jeremy Hall