Emmetsburg, Iowa — The Iowa Insurance Division is beginning the claims process to reimburse customers who had prepaid for services from an Emmetsburg funeral home.
A district court ruling approved the request to process the claims against Andrew Joyce of the Joyce Funeral Home. The Iowa Insurance Division says its investigation revealed a number of deposits that could not be matched to a burial, which suggested that thousands of dollars from pre-purchased agreements had not been placed in trust as required by Iowa law.
The Insurance Division charged Joyce with first and second-degree theft, ongoing criminal conduct, and failure to create a trust for preneed funeral services. The Insurance Division has sent letters to customers, and asks anyone who bought services from the Joyce Funeral Home in Emmetsburg to file a claim on the Division’s website.
