Son of Late Flint City Councilman Eric B. Mays Files Lawsuit Regarding the Handling of His Remains, Alleging Funeral Home and His Siblings Are Holding His Body Hostage
Lawsuit filed by Eric HaKeem Deontaye Mays, the son and only next-of-kin of the late Flint City Councilman Eric B. Mays, alleges fraud, conspiracy, and unjust enrichment in connection with the handling of the late Councilman's remains.
FLINT, Mich., March 4, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Eric HaKeem Deontaye Mays, the son and only next-of-kin of the late Flint City Councilman Eric B. Mays, filed a lawsuit today in the 7th Judicial Circuit Court for Genesee County, Michigan, alleging violations of Michigan law, fraud, and conspiracy by the Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home and four siblings of the late Councilman in connection with the handling of his remains.
Specifically, the complaint alleges that:
- Two of the late Councilman's siblings, Sherman Mays and Veronica Simon, perpetuated a fraud on the Genesee County Medical Examiner's Office by falsely representing to one of its investigators that the late Councilman had no children;
- A third sibling, Reggie Mays, who works as a funeral home attendant for the Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home, perpetuated a separate fraud on the Genesee County Medical Examiner's Office by falsely representing to its Administrator that he had legal authority as the late Councilman's brother to authorize the release of his body to the funeral home;
- The Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home has refused to turn over the late Councilman's remains to his son in violation of Michigan law despite Mr. Mays providing the funeral home with the legally required documentation necessary to authorize the funeral home to do so;
- The late Councilman's siblings conspired with the Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home to defraud the Genesee County Medical Examiner's Office;
- The late Councilman's siblings have unjustly profited from their fraudulent scheme by soliciting in-person donations from the community under the false premise that they were the late Councilman's next-of-kin to purportedly raise money for funeral services they have no legal authority to control; and
- The late Councilman's siblings encouraged Mr. Mays to inquire into his father's life insurance policy and sign a portion of it over to them, despite publicly claiming the late Councilman did not have a son.
"As we allege in this lawsuit, the Moon Funeral Home is disrespecting the life and legacy of the late Flint City Councilman Eric B. Mays by holding his body hostage and refusing to turn it over to his son, and by participating in an unlawful conspiracy with estranged, rogue members of the late Councilman's family to deprive his son his right to lay his father to rest," said Joseph Cannizzo, Jr., an attorney at the Lento Law Group representing Eric HaKeem Deontaye Mays. "Every child deserves to have a say in their parent's final affairs. Through this legal action, we hope to rectify the legal wrongs we alleged have taken place against Mr. Mays and give him closure during this difficult time while also affording him the opportunity?as is his right?to honor his father's legacy."
The lawsuit seeks, among other things, (i) an order enjoining the Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home from proceeding with any funeral plans or arrangements planned by anyone other than Eric HaKeem Deontaye Mays, and (ii) an order compelling the funeral home to release the late Councilman's body to the funeral home of Mr. Mays' choice.
About Lento Law Group
Lento Law Group and its attorneys seek to right the wrongs that have been committed against our clients. We believe in providing our clients with aggressive and thorough legal counsel. We also believe that our clients must be treated with respect and be provided with individual attention so that they can fully understand all of their legal rights and the paths available to them to enforce those rights. For more information, please visit www.lentolawgroup.com or call (833)-Lento Law (833-536-8652).
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