Winnipeg Police have charged the owner of Knysh Funeral Chapel on Fife Street in Winnipeg and a second location in Beausejour with multiple counts of Fraud and Forgery.
Mike Knysh was a licensed Funeral Director / Embalmer in Winnipeg from 1995 until March of 2015.
Police say that during the time Knysh was licensed it was a requirement of the Public Utilities Board (PUB) that all funeral homes selling pre-arranged funeral trusts must be licenced by the PUB.
Investigators say that nine people had purchased pre-arranged funerals from Knysh between 2000 and 2015 but the money they paid was not held in trust as it was required to be. Police say they believe that a total of $35,000 was stolen from the victims.
Knysh is also alleged to have been involved in 13 different cases involving forged Funeral Director’s Statement of Death where the individuals had not died. $83,000 was collected from the 13 insurance policies that Knysh had sold to victims.
Knysh was arrested and charged on April 27, 2018, after a long investigation by Winnipeg Police. He is facing four counts of Fraud over $5,000, seven counts of fraud under $5,000 and 13 counts of Forgery.
Knysh was released from custody by has a number of conditions he must follow.
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