A Sylva, North Carolina couple may find themselves buried six feet under—in criminal charges and a substantial debt to society—after authorities unraveled a scheme that allegedly spanned nearly a decade.
Following an examination of preneed burial policies, authorities arrested Ronnie Austin Riddle, the former owner and operator of Melton Riddle Funeral Home, along with his wife, Thomasine Sheehan Riddle. The 56-year-old faces 13 counts of obtaining property by false pretense, while his wife, 55, has been charged with nine counts of the same offense.
North Carolina Department of Insurance investigators believe that between 1998 and 2009, the Riddles collected approximately $50,000 in premiums from at least 13 couples and individuals for preneed burial policies. The duo, however, never submitted the policy applications and funds to the respective insurance companies.
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