BOONEVILLE – (AP) Cemetery owner Wayne Hight of Booneville has been sentenced to four years in prison for failing to properly fund pre-need burial trusts.
The Daily Corinthian reported that Hight was also ordered to pay restitution of more than $500,000.
Assistant District Attorney Richard Bowen said the 74-year-old Hight pleaded guilty in Alcorn County Circuit Court to two counts of misapplying or converting pre-need funds at Oaklawn Memorial Park and two counts of the same charge at Forrest Memorial Park.
Hight owned both cemeteries.
Bowen says Hight deliberately failed to retain the portions of funds paid for pre-need services in trusts required by state law.
Both cemeteries were taken over last year by the secretary of state’s office and placed into receivership with plans for them to be
sold.
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