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Restitution ordered in grave scam |
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Written by John Ellingsworth
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Wednesday, 07 July 2004 |
A Burlco firm got about $35,000 for tombstones it failed to deliver. Its owner must return the money.
By Joel Bewley
Inquirer Staff Writer
MOUNT HOLLY - A Willingboro businesswoman who admitted she had bilked grieving families that paid her for tombstones will serve no time in prison but must return the money she stole, according to an arrangement decided yesterday by a Superior Court judge. . .
Charlene Powell, 49, owner of American Family Memorials, took about $35,000 from 21 people between November 1999 and July 2002, said Andrew McDonnell, assistant Burlington County prosecutor. But she failed to produce and install the tombstones for which they had paid.
Powell agreed yesterday to plead guilty to two counts of theft in exchange for dismissal of the other charges. It was an open plea, meaning the judge decides the punishment.
Because she had no previous convictions, Judge Thomas S. Smith Jr. said probation was appropriate as long as Powell repaid the victims.
But McDonnell told the judge that probation was too lenient. "We feel jail time is appropriate," he said.
Had she been convicted in a trial, Powell could have faced five years in prison and a $15,000 fine for each offense.
Powell had made "poor business decisions" because of the pressures of a weak economy, said her attorney, Roderick Baltimore of Cherry Hill.
"She is remorseful, she is embarrassed, and she intends to fully reimburse those who gave her money," he said after the hearing.
If she fails to do so, Smith said, he will declare her in violation of probation. "My main concern is the issue of restitution," the judge said.
Several victims plan to speak when Powell is sentenced in March, McDonnell said.
Powell's business is no longer viable, and she has declared personal bankruptcy, Baltimore said.
At least two customers have also complained about the quality of the tombstones provided by Powell's company, said Renee Borstad, head of the county consumer affairs office.
The complaints were not considered criminal and were not included in the charges against Powell, McDonnell said. |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 24 February 2007 )
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