Two local funeral home employees were each charged with 16 felony counts of embezzlement, according to warrants issued by Det. Ricky Lyall on Oct. 12 and served on Monday.
The alleged offenses involved 39-year-old Loyd Craig Toliver and 36-year-old Kim Church Toliver, both long-time employees of Grandview Memorial Funeral Home. Both netted exactly the same 16 embezzlement charges and both were released on the date of the arrest (Oct. 15) under a surety appearance bond of $10,000 each.
According to warrants, the Tolivers embezzled monies totalling $74,660.84 from the funeral home.
Exactly what accounts allegedly were embezzled was not clear as of presstime, although Lyall noted concern that perhaps other accounts pertaining to funeral home customers had been affected.
"We want to make sure that anyone who has paid money to the funeral home for a pre-paid funeral or other service comes forward and contacts Harold Church so that we can make sure they have been credited properly," Lyall said. "We think we have found all the discrepancies, be we want to be positive on something this important."
Lyall added that the investigation is continuing and that more charges may follow depending on what evidence is uncovered in the coming weeks. He declined further comment on the case.
Meanwhile, Grandview Memorial Funeral Home Director Harold Church, father of Kim Toliver, said he is standing behind his daughter and son-in-law. "I am going to stand behind them and help them all I can," he said. "Good people do bad things and that is the case here. "It's just tore my heart out."
Church said the charges and pending court case will not affect customers of the funeral home.
"Our customers are not going to be hurt by this in any way, other than being disappointed that this could happen. If anyone has concerns about any dealings they have had with Grandview, please contact me at 372-5621."
Church declined to comment further on the charges or the circumstances surrounding them.
Grandview Memorial is owned by Heritage Family Funeral Service in Elizabethton, Tenn.
According to warrants, the embezzled funds ranged in amount from $1,000 to $10,000 per occurrance, beginning on April 23, 1995.
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