A New York funeral parlor of horrors named “Camelot” buried grieving families in massive bills while their loved ones’ decomposing bodies piled up in a garage like packages in a warehouse, officials alleged.
Michael Naughton, 55, of Long Island was operating the funeral home in Mount Vernon in Westchester County despite his license being revoked seven years ago — defrauding dozens of New Yorkers who trusted him to properly take care of their relatives as they mourned, prosecutors with state Attorney General Letitia James’ office said in a.20-count indictment unsealed Thursday.
“Planning a loved one’s funeral can be among the most difficult and vulnerable times in a person’s life. Naughton heartlessly took advantage of New Yorkers while knowingly operating his funeral home without a license and failed to take proper care of the remains in his possession,” James said in a statement.
A surprise January inspection by the New York Department of Health discovered 13 dead bodies in “various states of decomposition thrown throughout the building — some even stacked on top of one another like packages at a warehouse — along with 17 boxes of cremated remains, the AG said.
State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald then issued an emergency order shutting Camelot down after the inspection, directing Naughton to hand over all records and cooperate with authorities.
“The violations and alleged crimes uncovered at Camelot Funeral Home demonstrate why only licensed funeral directors should be entrusted with the care of human remains,” McDonald said.
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.
