A former Connecticut funeral director who misappropriated clients’ prepayments to support his gambling addiction will serve a sentence of seven and a half years in state prison.
Philip Pietras, aged 52, confessed to taking money from over 170 individuals, many of whom were senior citizens aiming to ease the burden on their loved ones by prepaying for their funerals. Instead of putting these funds into escrow accounts, Pietras used the money for gambling activities.
Pietras agreed to a plea bargain from the state, with prosecutors expecting him to plead guilty on Oct. 23 and be officially sentenced on Jan. 22, 2027.
Per the state’s terms, Pietras will acknowledge using his clients’ funds for personal gain. In return, the state has proposed a prison term of 7.5 years instead of the original 15 years, followed by five years of probation.
Based on the arrest warrant affidavit, law enforcement initiated an investigation into Pietras after a third-party company employee that assists funeral homes in managing contracts raised concerns about potential irregularities at Pietras Family Funeral Homes in Coventry.
Authorities uncovered multiple instances of alleged theft. Following this news, clients started requesting escrow statements, only to discover that their funds had not been deposited.
Gambling Addiction
Prosecutors claimed that Pietras embezzled funeral funds to support his gambling habit. Investigations revealed that he made over 800 trips to casinos within a 14-year span.
Records from his casino player’s card indicated losses of more than $1.2 million at Mohegan Sun. Additionally, he frequented Foxwoods Resort Casino and MGM Springfield in Massachusetts.
Pietras faced charges including unfair trade practices, larceny, and embezzlement. Prosecutors also alleged that he violated health and zoning regulations by residing at his funeral home in Coventry.
Victims were identified at each of Pietras’ funeral homes, such as Coventry-Pietras, Angels Memorial funeral homes in Coventry, Tolland Memorial Funeral Home, and Burke-Fortin and Small & Pietras funeral homes in Vernon.
Some victims expressed dissatisfaction with the plea deal offered to Pietras.
As for myself, and I’m sure all the others affected, this is not nearly enough for the amount of pain and anguish he has caused so many families,” Alison Greene, a victim’s relative, stated outside the courtroom, as reported by CT Insider.
Pietras is currently facing over 40 lawsuits from clients seeking refunds of their money.
Funeral Expenses
According to Funeralocity, an advocate for consumers in funeral service matters; the average cost of a traditional full-service burial in Connecticut is $9,609, exceeding the national average by over $1,000.