Sanford official accused of stealing funeral funds

SANFORD, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - A well-known Sanford man was arrested Thursday, accused of stealing more than $100,000 that was supposed to go toward funerals.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents say Bernard Mitchell worked for a Sanford funeral home for more than 40 years, and for the past three, they say he's been stealing money from customers. They say that instead of putting the pre-paid money for burial plots and funerals into a state escrow account, which is state law, Mitchell pocketed lots of the money.

FOX 35 news was there as Mitchell was taken away in handcuffs. Mitchell is accused of stealing from at least 14 people who pre-paid for burial plots and funeral services.

FDLE Special Agent Supervisor Mike Giddens said, "We found that after Bernard Mitchell resigned as his position at the funeral home, where he'd been for 47 years, there were some discrepancies with some financial records."

FOX 35 News has learned the funeral home picked up the cost of the stolen money, so customers didn't have to.
Mitchell is in the Seminole County Jail.