Terry Alvin Kaufman, 71, of Bad Axe, Michigan was arraigned before Judge Julienne M. Ferris in the 73B District Court in Bad Axe on Nov. 24 for allegedly embezzling and converting funds he received for prepaid funerals and funeral insurance policies, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Kaufman, who founded and operates Kaufman & Co. Funeral Home in Huron County, has been charged with:
- One count of conducting a criminal enterprise, a 20-year felony.
- Two counts of embezzlement by an agent $20,000 or more but less than $50,000, each a 10-year felony.
- Five counts of embezzlement by an agent $1,000 or more but less than $20,000, each a five-year felony.
- 31 counts of conversion of funeral contracts, each a five-year felony.
Kaufman allegedly collected $192,824.98 through the Huron County Public Guardian but failed to properly escrow any of the funds. Instead, Kaufman is accused of embezzling and converting money from 55 victims to his own use, including paying his own salary, over the past 10 years.
“When families prepay for funeral services, they expect the funds to be handled with integrity, not siphoned off for personal gain,” Nessel said. “My office remains committed to holding those who commit such criminal enterprises accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to the firm’s website, Kaufman & Co. Funeral Home operates out of 84 Westland Drive in Bad Axe, Michigan. The funeral home advertises a full range of services including traditional funerals, personalized memorials, cremations, pre-planning arrangements, and grief-support resources — positioning itself as a provider meant to guide families through end-of-life services with dignity and respect.
Kaufman will next appear in the Huron County 73B District Court before Judge Julienne M. Ferris on December 4, 2025.
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