In a shocking revelation, a New York funeral home, ironically named “Camelot,” has been accused of exploiting grieving families by saddling them with exorbitant bills while allowing the bodies of their loved ones to decay in a garage, as if they were mere parcels in a storage facility. This disturbing allegation was brought to light by officials.
Michael Naughton, a 55-year-old resident of Long Island, was allegedly running this funeral parlor in Mount Vernon, Westchester County, even though his license had been revoked seven years prior. According to prosecutors from the office of state Attorney General Letitia James, Naughton deceived numerous New Yorkers who entrusted him with the care of their deceased relatives, all while they were in mourning. This misconduct has been detailed in a 20-count indictment unveiled on Thursday.
“The task of planning a funeral for a loved one is often one of the most challenging and vulnerable experiences a person can face,” stated Attorney General James. “Naughton ruthlessly exploited New Yorkers by operating his funeral service without a valid license, neglecting to properly care for the remains under his charge.”
The grim reality of the situation came to light during an unannounced inspection by the New York Department of Health in January. Inspectors were horrified to find 13 bodies in various stages of decomposition scattered throughout the building, some even piled atop one another like warehouse packages, alongside 17 boxes of cremated remains, as reported by the Attorney General.
In response to these appalling conditions, State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald issued an emergency shutdown of Camelot Funeral Home immediately following the inspection. Naughton was instructed to surrender all records and fully cooperate with the ensuing investigation.
“The violations and alleged criminal activities discovered at Camelot underscore the critical need for only licensed professionals to be responsible for the handling and care of human remains,” emphasized Dr. McDonald.
Naughton, who lives on Long Island in Baldwin, negotiated prices, signed contracts, arranged transport of the dead, presided over services and oversaw the disposition of remains — none of which he was legally allowed to do, according to the indictment unsealed in Westchester County Court.
The AG’s investigation found Naughton had been running the scheme from at least May 2025 through this past January, bilking dozens of grieving families out of thousands of dollars.
He’s also charged with forging a Burial Transit Permit — the document required to legally move a body to its place of burial or disposition.
“This is a deeply disturbing and heartbreaking situation that has caused unimaginable pain for countless families,” Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard said.
“At a time when families were most vulnerable, they were taken advantage of in the most egregious way. My heart is with every family impacted by this betrayal,” the mayor added.
The 20-count indictment includes nine misdemeanor counts of unlicensed practicing as a funeral director, and 11 total felony charges — with nine grand larceny or attempted grand larceny counts and one charge for scheming to defraud, along with one more for criminal possession of a forged instrument for the burial transmit permit.
If convicted on the top count, Naughton faces up to seven years in prison.
