Former funeral director Chad Wheeler is facing a charge of Fraud Over $5,000 after he allegedly bilked 139 people out of nearly $300,000.

Winnipeg Police began an investigation in April of 2018 after the Court of Queen’s Bench ordered Wheeler funeral home into receivership the previous month.

Investigators learned that several people who had bought pre-arranged funeral plans were not able to find out about the status of the plans.

Police say that between February 2006 and February 2018 76 pre-arranged plans were sold but $175,000 for those plans were never placed into trust.

Investigators also say that an additional $75,000 from the sale of 40 pre-arranged funeral insurance plans without the money being sent to the insurance companies between January 2007 and April 2017.

An additional $50,000 in fraudulent activity between August 2006 and December 2017 was also discovered as part of the investigation.

Wheeler was released with an undertaking and will appear in court in January 2021.

© News4.ca 2020