CLEARFIELD – A Reynoldsville man accused of not delivering tombstones to his clients pleaded guilty in Clearfield County Court.
Edmund A. Grenier Jr., 69, 51 Lakelawn Dr., Reynoldsville, pleaded guilty in two cases to felony counts of deceptive business practice, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds and theft by deception.
He was sentenced by Judge Paul E. Cherry to six months to one year in jail and two years consecutive probation. He was fined $1,300 plus costs.
On Aug. 27, 2013, he pleaded guilty in a separate case to deceptive business practices and was sentenced by Cherry to two years probation.
All three cases involve Grenier failing to provide tombstones to customers for their loved ones at Crown Crest Cemetery in Lawrence Township and Lake Lawn Cemetery in Sandy Township.
Prior to sentencing, one of the victims addressed the court explaining how difficult this ordeal has been for his family.
“This was more than a simple case of not providing services,” he said. This incident prolonged the family’s suffering after the loss of his mother.
Because there was no tombstone on her grave “we felt we failed her.”
Grenier’s attorney, Leanne Nedza explained Grenier’s problems started when his wife who was his business partner, “took off.” Nedza stated that Grenier is not a “good businessman” and previously his wife handled the business while he handled the maintenance of the graveyards.
His ex-wife came back to the area and cleaned out their bank account in 2014. Nedza said he is working with Lawrence Township police to file charges against her.
While he has worked hard to catch up, he has been living on a small pension and social security, she said.
Nedza pointed out that putting him in jail for a long time would only cause problems because without him “the cemeteries wouldn’t exist.” He is the one who does the maintenance and opens the graves.
Cherry asked if Grenier was the one who met with these families, arranged the sales and signed the agreements. She replied that he was.
Cherry noted that in one of these cases, the victims waited six years for their tombstone and in the other case they waited three years. It was confirmed that both these tombstones were put in place in December of 2014.
According to the affidavit in one of the cases, the victim contacted police because he paid $2,745 to Crown Crest Cemetery in June of 2012 for a headstone that was to be delivered within 120 days. As of Nov. 1, 2013, the tombstone had not been received.
In the other case, the complaint states the victim’s attorney contacted police because she had made a payment of $2,245 to Grenier in September of 2009 for a headstone, which was to be placed on a grave in Crown Crest Cemetery. As of July of 2013, the tombstone was not set and the victim has not received a refund.
According to the affidavit in the first case from 2013, the victim told police that in February of 2012, Grenier, owner of Lake Lawn, came to her home in Sandy Township to discuss purchasing a grave marker for her late husband who was buried there.
She, her son and daughter-in-law discussed it and then the victim gave Grenier a check for $3,825 for the full price of the grave marker. A security agreement stated that he would deliver the marker within 120 days.
The check was cashed the next day. Grenier failed to deliver the marker and both the victim and her son were unable to contact him. They called the police in October of 2012.
Prior to sentencing in that case in August of 2013, the victim addressed the court explaining how disturbing it was not to have a marker, which made it difficult to position flowers correctly on her husband’s grave. She said it was disrespectful for her late husband not to have a marker and “not right to take advantage of anyone in this situation for personal gain.”