Authorities in Jonesboro, a suburb of Atlanta, have charged a funeral home in connection to an alleged scheme to scam bereaving families out of tens of thousands of dollars.
Atlanta Black Star reports that police suspect that Danielle Longino (also known as Danielle Watkins), a former employee of the Anthony L. Watkins Funeral Home, scammed families who went to the home for funeral services out of more than $80,000 while pretending to still work there.
“She would contact several victims after they suffered a death in the family while they were making arrangements,” Jonesboro Police Chief Tommy Henderson told the press, Atlanta Black Star reports. “She would scam them out of the money for caskets and funeral services.”
In order to run a successful con, Longino capitalized on the company’s plan to customize the funeral experience for each family with a personal touch, which included ordering flowers, preparing tribute videos, providing grief support and other services. She told the families that she was offering an extended service, using information she acquired while working for the funeral home.
But her scam didn’t end once she left the company. The 34-year-old continued to claim she was an employee at the home to potential clients. Longino even went as far as contacting grieving families about final arrangements for their loved ones.
“To my knowledge, they were looking for services at the funeral home, and in some cases, she would contact them,” Henderson said.
According to WSB-TV, police asked the public to help find Longino. A photograph and description were sent out to the press and social media, describing her as a person of interest.
Longino ended up turning herself in at the Clayton County Jail on Dec. 9.
