A former Glenwood cemetery employee was charged with multiple felonies after allegedly pocketing more than $110,000 in cash from families paying for funeral expenses, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office announced Saturday.
Latrecia Marshall-Parris, 48, of Harvey, was charged April 17 with theft and continuing a financial crime enterprise, the sheriff’s office said. She made an initial court appearance Friday at the Markham Courthouse, and was ordered released from custody pending trial.
Detectives launched an investigation after staff at Mount Glenwood Memory Gardens reported in August 2023 that Marshall-Parris deposited a lower amount in the cemetery’s account than the amount she received from a family for a headstone, according to the sheriff’s office and court documents.
Marshall-Parris worked with families in planning funerals and purchasing headstones, which the families often paid for in cash.
Marshall-Parris allegedly stole more than $114,200 from April 2022 to August 2023, according to the sheriff’s office and court documents. She took a portion of families’ payments 49 times in that time frame, the sheriff’s office said, adding that she’s since been fired.
An arrest warrant was issued for Marshall-Parris at the end of March, and Harvey Police arrested her on April 16. Her next court appearance is scheduled for May 2.
