A funeral home director who stole from the estate of a dying client — taking funds that had been earmarked for charities in Chester County — has been sentenced to prison, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced.
Kenneth Neeld, 47, was arrested in March following an investigation into the theft of more than $257,000 from the estate of 84-year-old Keith Jerome, a Bucks County man who signed a power of attorney form giving Neeld authority to manage his assets.
Neeld, who founded the Neeld Family Funeral Care in Malvern, had been a certified long-term care specialist and worked on Jerome's estate in the months leading up to his death in September 2016.
Jerome had directed Neeld to distribute his financial assets to Amigos de Jesus, Zawadi Fund International and the Coatesville Senior Center after his death. The first two organizations support educational programs for impoverished children.