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Batavia funeral home director going to prison after ripping off customers

Michael Tomaszewski of Batavia was sentenced on charges that included grand larceny. The acting Genesee County district attorney believes justice has been served.

BATAVIA, N.Y. — A former funeral home director will spend the next two to six years in prison for ripping off his customers.

Michael Tomaszewski of Batavia was sentenced Wednesday on charges that included grand larceny.

Last July he admitted to stealing money from nearly 100 customers and not delivering on the services for which they paid. The acting Genesee County district attorney said he believes justice has been served.

"These people have been deprived of funds that they entrusted to him for a very important purpose," Kevin Finnell said. "In that regard you can never be made whole, but I think the prison term will go a long way to healing the hurt that they have experienced because of his actions."

The district attorney said he supports the judge's sentencing, saying it will give the victims a better chance of being paid back what they are owed.

Tomaszewski had originally faced more than 200 counts related to stealing money. Earlier this year he took a plea deal to three different charges, as well as a violation of a state health law involving the timely burial of the dead.

Families impacted by the crimes say they are frustrated that the court pushed back his sentencing after he asked to change attorneys.

Tomaszewski was arrested in July of 2020 for allegedly taking money from 93 customers and not putting it into trust accounts, or using it on the headstones or graves the customers believed they purchased.

New York State Public Health Law 4200 calls for a deceased person to be buried within a reasonable time period. Tomaszewski allegedly filed a death certificate claiming the deceased had been buried at a specific cemetery on a specific date, which in fact, they were not.

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