State Funeral Directors Hailing Bill Aimed At Funeral Home Fraud Rooted In Tolland And Hartford Counties

CONNECTICUT — State funeral directors are hailing a move by state lawmakers to take care of those affected by an accused rogue colleague facing accusations that he used pre-paid packages for gambling and other personal uses.

Last week, both the Connecticut House and Senate approved in concurrence HB 5381 "An Act Concerning Unlawful Funeral Service Practices", in order to compensate victims of unlawful funeral service practices.

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The legislation is currently awaiting the Governor’s signature.

State Rep. Tammy Nuccio advanced this bill in response to affected families from funeral homes in Tolland, Vernon, East Windsor, Coventry and other Connecticut towns, who claim they lost more than $790,000 to former funeral director Philip Pietras.

"Over the past year, more that 120 victims have accused Pietras of stealing their pre-paid funeral funds. He is accused of receiving their funds, but not depositing them into a financial institution as he was legally bound and, he instead kept the money for his own personal use,:" the CFDA said in a statement released Thursday. "Since the victims' funds were never deposited and he already had spent the funds, there has been no way for the impacted families to recover their money."

The association worked closely with Nuccio, other legislative leaders, the Departments of Consumer Protection and Public Health in efforts to het the legislation passed.

In addition, CFDA supported the inclusion of $1 million in the State budget bill for a victim compensation fund to provide funding for families.

HB 5381 establishes a Funeral Service Guaranty Account that will provide restitution to victims of fraudulent funeral practices, and a 12-member working group to oversee issues with prepaid funeral service contracts, as well as new consumer protections and a financial safety net for buyers. The group will include representatives from State departments such as public health, consumer protection, banks and insurance, along with a licensed funeral director from the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association. Victims will receive up to $10,000 per person and can expect restitution payments beginning July 1, 2027.

Nuccio has been urging more people to come forward.

Jesse M. Gomes, the executive director of the CFDA, released the following statement:

"Every day, Connecticut’s licensed funeral directors provide care for individuals and families and the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association commends Representative Nuccio, and the Connecticut General Assembly for their commitment to consumers by drafting this bill that can help to heal these individuals and families, a number of whom who shared their stories in the public hearing."

In March 2026, testimonies were provided by a number of people who were defrauded by Pietras Family Funeral Homes.

Gomes continued, "This groundbreaking

legislation will provide financial restitution to so many who learned their trust was broken during what can be the most difficult time in their lives. "Ever since this situation first came to light in April 2025, CFDA has worked with legislative leaders and the relevant state agencies to address this most important issue impacting families. CFDA’s thoughts and actions have been to provide for appropriate compensation for the families and to ensure that families are protected going forward.

"We emphasize to consumers to be aware of preventive safeguards and steps they inform residents about preventive safeguards and steps they can take to can take to ensure that their funds for prepaid funerals are properly and safely deposited and managed."

The 137-year-old Wethersfield-based Connecticut Funeral Directors Associationis comprised of funeral directors at more than 220 funeral homes.

Pietras, 51, of Coventry, became the focus of a criminal investigation amid accusations that he bilked families who pre-paid for services out of thousands of dollars. The money was used for what a warrant outlines as mostly personal gambling excursions and pleasure trips.

In September 2025, the Vernon Police Department announced that Pietras had been charged with 60 counts of intent to defraud funeral service contracts and 20 counts of second-degree larceny following an extensive investigation into allegations of fraudulent activity involving 66 pre-planned funeral contracts.

According to a warrant, the investigation began in April 2025.

Pietras' bond was set at $800,000.

He also faces charges out of East Windsor, Tolland and his hometown of Coventry.

Detectives investigated Pietras' business practices from 2009-onward, according to a warrant. The payments from clients deposited into a Pietras Funeral Homes account ranged from $100 to tens of thousands.

Personal trips cited in the warrant mostly centered around gambling and casinos visited by Pietras and included Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun and the MGM in Springfield close by and farther trips to places like the Bellagio and the Hard Rock in Last Vegas. Trips to Harrah's in Atlantic City were also mentioned n the warrant.

And the gambling was extensive, investigators said. For example, plays credited to Pietras' account at Foxwoods were worth $8,150,696 and his wife's plays were worth $2,079,792, according to a warrant.

And he didn't always win. In a report from Mohegan Sun obtained by police, Pietras' accumulated $1,220,451 in losses from 2010 to 2024, mostly playing slot machines, according to a warrant.

He also gambled via online services, according to a warrant.

Detectives said in a warrant that he incurred "innumerable" expenses for restaurants and shopping sprees in Connecticut, along with other "frivolous" expenses.

Pietras owned the Burke-Fortin Funeral Home in Vernon and the stately Victorian Era mansion in the Rockville section of town that housed the business is for sale.

In July, the state Board of Embalmers revoked his license.

According to a warrant, Pietras told detectives that he would "rectify" the situation. According to a warrant, when asked by detectives if it were a common practice to use business accounts to fund personal endeavors, he responded, "Not really, but it might be the card I had available at the time. I just did it."