CLEARFIELD – A Virginia woman accused of deceptive business practices for not supplying grave markers for local graveyards has been taken into custody.
A bench warrant was issued for Brenda Grenier, 57 of Colonial Heights, Va., after she failed to appear for a preliminary hearing in August. She was taken into custody last week, was extradited from Virginia and is currently incarcerated in the Clearfield County Jail.
Brenda Grenier and her now ex-husband, Edmund Grenier, formerly of Reynoldsville, are both charged for not providing products as agreed for their clients.
Brenda Grenier is charged with 30 counts each of deceptive or fraudulent business practices, theft by deception, and theft by failure to make required disposition of funds and two counts of theft by unlawful taking.
She was arraigned Wednesday on two, additional cases for which she is charged with one count each of deceptive business practices, theft by deception and theft by failure to make required disposition of funds. She remains in jail in lieu of $25,000 bail on each case.
These charges are the result of an ongoing problem for those doing business with Crown Crest Cemetery in Lawrence Township and Lakelawn Cemetery in Sandy Township.
A preliminary hearing scheduled for Brenda Grenier on Wednesday for the first case, was continued until next Wednesday at 11 a.m. The two, additional cases will be heard during that same session of centralized court.
Joseph Ryan, attorney for Brenda Grenier stated Wednesday that he did not anticipate there will be a hearing, as she is probably going to waive the charges into the court of common pleas.
When he asked Brenda Grenier to confirm that it will not be necessary for the victims to appear for the hearing, she stated “they’ve been through enough already.” She also claimed that they “were not the only ones deceived.”
According to the affidavits of probable cause, Edmund Grenier charged customers of Crown Crest Cemetery for granite bases and bronze plaques and failed to supply them. In some cases, the victims purchased the items to be placed in storage until they would be needed. Allegedly none of these items were delivered as expected and Edmund Grenier told some of the victims the bases and plaques were in a storage facility in Pittsburgh. A few of the victims paid for additional information to be added onto standing bronze plaques and this service was not provided either.
A letter dated Sept. 12, 2013 that is signed by Brenda Grenier, identifies her as the secretary and treasurer of Grenier Enterprises Inc. and Crown Crest Cemeteries, according to the criminal complaint.
In June of 2014 she allegedly withdrew $7,577.55 from the business account. She admitted she took the funds because Edmund Grenier had stopped paying her a regular salary from the business.
Edmund A. Grenier Jr., 70, currently an inmate of state prison, faces the same charges. His trial originally scheduled for February, was continued. Jury selection for these cases is now set for June.
Over the past few years, Edmund Grenier has been charged several, different times in both Clearfield and Jefferson counties. In January of 2015, he pleaded guilty in two, separate cases to felony counts of deceptive business practice, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds and theft by deception. Prior to that on Aug. 27, 2013 he pleaded guilty to deceptive business practices. He pleaded guilty to two cases with the same charges in Jefferson County. He is currently serving a probation revocation sentence from Jefferson County of 20 to 40 years in state prison that he was given in September of 2015.
According to online court records, in July Jefferson County Judge John Foradora ordered that all accounts in the name of Lakelawn Memorial Park or Crown Crest Memorial Park be closed and reopened by attorney Jeffrey M. Gordon. The cemeteries were to be sold to pay the debts of the business.