JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Financial Services has issued a warrant to arrest Elliot Maurice Graham, the funeral director of Marion Graham Mortuaries in Jacksonville. He is accused of giving families "fake" cremated remains, stealing money and "abandoning" the funeral home, according to a release from State CFO Jimmy Patronis.
Graham is facing charges of grand theft and improper preservation of a human body.
After receiving a complaint alleging the mishandling of the remains, the state agency that oversees funerals and cemeteries acted to secure the premises and take care of the bodies remaining there.
"Nothing is more important than family - and as our loved ones pass away - it’s always a difficult situation, and families are entrusting funeral directors to treat their loved ones with respect and dignity. These allegations indicate that this alleged criminal did the opposite," he said.
Patronis says that the state will "aggressively" pursue Graham and seeks to "put (him) behind bars for a very long time."
The warrant was issued following a search of the grounds. First Coast News viewers reported seeing a large police presence at the mortuary Wednesday.