Former NW Iowa funeral home operator escapes jail time

EMMETSBURG, Iowa (KUOO) - The former owner of a northwest Iowa funeral home charged for selling prearranged funeral services and then pocketing the money won’t have to serve jail time.

Online court documents show Andrew Joyce of Emmetsburg, Iowa, pled guilty to theft in the first degree as part of a plea deal. A 10-year prison term was suspended, and Joyce was placed on probation for two years.

He received a deferred judgment on a charge of ongoing criminal conduct, and charges of selling funeral services without a sales permit and theft in the second degree were dismissed.

The State of Iowa issued a cease-and-desist order against Joyce in 2019 after the complaints surfaced.

Joyce was accused of not establishing a trust fund in which money for prearranged services was to be placed until the services were actually performed, as required under Iowa law.