Ind. Ex-Funeral Director Pleads Guilty to Insurance Fraud Charges

A former Indiana funeral home director accused of cashing in policies totaling more than $100,000 on 27 people who were still alive has pleaded guilty to four counts of insurance fraud.

The plea agreement calls for Kent Kellogg, 51, of Monon to be sentenced to 16 years in prison, four years on each count, his lawyer said.

Attorney Patrick Manahan said White Superior Court Judge Robert Mrzlack would have discretion to reduce the sentence to eight years.

“I didn’t try to deceive anyone out of their money, I was just trying to maintain my business,” Kellogg said in court.. “I’ve lost everything. It is my fault, I’m not trying to blame anyone else, but I’ve been through a lot.”

Sentencing was set for Nov. 20.

Kellogg, who operated Kellogg Funeral Home, came under scrutiny by insurance investigators from a string of pre-needs insurance policy claims dating back to 2002, said White County Prosecutor Bob Guy.

Kellogg would report to the insurance company that a policy holder had died. The companies would then forward him money for the funerals, Guy said.

Additional counts of corrupt business influence and theft were dropped under the plea agreement.