TDCI: Former funeral director allegedly misled families who’ve recently lost loved ones
By Caresse Jackman
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Tennessee (WSMV) — The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance Division of Regulatory Boards said they’ve recently received information that former funeral director and embalmer Reid Van Ness is allegedly approaching Spanish speaking residents in Rutherford County who’ve recently lost loved ones.
Department officials told News 4 they’ve recently received information that Van Ness is allegedly approaching Spanish speaking residents in Rutherford County who have recently lost loved ones.
Van Ness, who is fluent in Spanish, is allegedly offering to have the remains of the families’ loved ones either cremated or shipped to their home countries in exchange for money. But according to families, they never arrive.
The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance Division of Regulatory Boards said anyone with knowledge about this activity is urged to immediately file a complaint with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, local law enforcement and the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance.
News 4 has reached out to Van Ness for comment, and he sent us this statement.
“The news release is nonsense. The board of funeral directors and embalmers likes to put the cart before the horse. One, I do not solicit funerals from anyone. People within the Hispanic community call me, I don’t call them. It may be for help in obtaining funeral and or cremation services or resources to find rental or utility funds.
The problem here is politically based and driven by the funeral directors not getting my referrals are upset. They don’t want to help these families. It’s too much trouble or they just want their money. Haters are haters. May God bless them.”
~Reid Van Ness
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