Funeral director’s plea postponed until business is sold
Burgettstown-area funeral director Lynn Taucher, facing charges she mishandled customers’ funds, intends to make restitution, surrender her license and sell the business while maintaining the continuity of its operation.
Taucher, 57, who lives at the same address as the funeral home on Erie Mine Road, requested a plea postponement Friday through her attorney, Kevin Zinski, in Washington County Court.
Deputy Attorney General Courtney Butterfield reported to Judge Michael Lucas that Taucher, who is charged with failure to make required disposition of funds, has made full restitution to 42 of 49 clients who paid for funerals in advance.
The case is centered on allegations Taucher collected $340,000 for prepaid funerals and commingled it with money in a personal account she allegedly used for gambling and business expenses instead of placing it in a separate account and reporting the money to the state, as required, between 2006 and 2016.
Taucher is in negotiations with another funeral director, who was not named in court, so he can purchase the business and continue to operate it.
“It’s a very good business, and it’s well-liked in the community,” Zinski said outside the courtroom. “If we did the plea (Friday), the funeral home would have to close.”
Lucas agreed to reschedule a plea for February, with a sentencing date in March.
Zinski said he plans to ask for a probationary sentence.
Charges originally filed by the attorney general’s office included more than 40 counts of failure to make required disposition of funds and one count each of forgery and insurance fraud.