ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. – The state attorney's office is now investigating an Atlantic Beach cemetery following the News4Jax I-TEAM’s stories exposing dozens of complaints against Beaches Memorial Park and its sister company, First Coast Funeral Home.
The SAO would not release any more details about the investigation, explaining it's still early. A spokesperson, however, did confirm its investigators are taking a closer look at the cemetery's owners to determine if there has been any criminal activity.
Also as a result of the months-long investigation, the I-TEAM has discovered the cemetery/funeral home's license will be discussed this week during a meeting of the Board of Funeral, Cemetery and Consumer Services, which regulates these types of businesses in Florida. The I-TEAM does not know if the funeral board will discipline the cemetery.
To date, the I-TEAM has received 57 complaints from families about how they were treated by Nader "John" Rayan and his wife, Amanda, the owner of Beaches Memorial Park/First Coast Funeral Home.
These complaints include services and merchandise bought and paid for that were not delivered on time, if at all, and charges for services and merchandise that had already been paid for.
Despite repeated calls to the cemetery for nearly two months requesting comment, the I-TEAM finally heard back from the owner three weeks ago. In a 90-minute phone conversation, Amanda Rayan gave her explanations for some of the complaints we have received. After checking those out, and the I-TEAM's fact-checking tells a very different tale.
Missing Memorial Bench
Amanda Rayan assured the I-TEAM over the phone on June 6 that after nearly two years of delays installing a bench beside local Navy veteran Eugenio Puangco's grave, she would see to it personally that it would be delivered.
She blamed the delay on the Jacksonville cemetery where Puangco was buried, and said it was not her fault. Puangco's daughter, Maria Curcio, said she had emailed and called Rayan several times when the bench her father bought, in 2011, was not delivered to his graveside after his death in July 2014.
Curcio said rarely did anyone answer the phone or return her calls to Beaches Memorial Park. She became so frustrated by the lack of response, she filed a complaint against the cemetery with the state's Division of Funeral, Cemetery and Consumer Services. In one of several emails between Curcio and Rayan, Rayan wrote she was doing everything possible to deliver the bench, explaining it had been sitting in her office, ready for delivery, for months.
Rayan did have the bench delivered within five days of her phone conversation with I-TEAM investigator Jennifer Waugh.
But, the bench she claimed had been ready for months was not the bench the family ordered. According to Puangco's contract, he paid $400 for a bench with his last name inscribed on it, in addition, his family paid an extra $395 to add a porcelain picture of their father. The bench delivered to Puangco's graveside is blank, it does not have any inscription and there is no picture.
After learning that, the I-TEAM called Rayan for an explanation. The call has not been returned, nor has the email to the address she provided to the I-TEAM.
Damaged Vault
Amanda Rayan, the owner of Beaches Memorial Park/First Coast Funeral Home, also said she and her staff were not responsible for damage to a vault the cemetery was going to use to bury Johnnie Mae Jones last April. She said the vault company that delivered it was responsible for the damage. Rayan explained since it was delivered early in the morning on the day of the April 23 funeral, she did not have time to order another one.
The I-TEAM first told viewers the story of Johnnie Mae Jones' family's last month. The family had recorded video of the cracked, damaged vault. Relatives were also upset that their mother's grave had not been dug when family members arrived for the funeral. Celestine Jones said the owner's husband, Nader "John" Rayan, told them the ground was too wet to dig the grave and it would need to be done another day. A mock grave was set up when they arrived. The family said it did not believe the ground was too wet, since it was a dry, sunny day and believed the wet ground was a story to cover for the damaged vault.
The vault had several cracks, holes in the bottom and did not have a lid. Vaults and outer burial containers are used to prevent cave-ins under the ground and to preserve caskets. The I-TEAM called the vault company that Rayan said delivered the container that was supposed to be used for Johnnie Mae Jones' burial. Randy Grewell, regional manager of Wilbert Vault, told the I-TEAM the company made no deliveries to Beaches Memorial Park on April 23, the day of Jones' burial. In fact, he said there were no deliveries to the Atlantic Beach cemetery the entire week.
Grewell added, "The outer burial container in question does not represent what we provide our customers,” and went on to say, "Our extensive quality control measures cease upon successful delivery of an intact unit."
Crypt name plates and grave markers
The I-TEAM also fact-checked Amanda Rayan's explanation about why some families have been waiting for months for their loved ones' graveside markers and crypt plates. The I-TEAM asked her why Margaret Bourgeois' crypt was still blank, even though her son had paid for her name plate in January.
Rayan accepted some responsibility for the delay, tearfully explaining to the I-TEAM that her mother and sister had died recently and she had fallen behind in ordering Bourgeois' marker as well as some other markers, since she was still grieving. She said Bourgeois' marker was also delayed because she had to wait for the family's insurance money to pay for it. Al Bourgeois, Margaret's son, said he paid cash for his mother's name plate and there was no insurance money.
The I-TEAM discovered Amanda Rayan's mother died in 2014, not as recently as she had suggested. As for her sister, she is alive. The I-TEAM spoke to her on the phone. She lives in North Carolina and said she is Rayan's only sibling.
Expired Cemetery License
Amanda Rayan also told the I-TEAM three weeks ago that her husband had just mailed the check to pay to renew the cemetery license for Beaches Memorial Park. The I-TEAM discovered it expired Dec. 31. A spokesperson with the state's Division of Funeral, Cemetery and Consumer Services said it has not received a check or renewal form from Beaches Memorial Park.
The I-TEAM has offered the Rayans an open invitation to tell their side of the story.
If anyone has a complaint about Beaches Memorial Park or its sister company, First Coast Funeral Home, they can contact the I-TEAM at iteam@news4jax.com or 904-479-NEWS.
Anyone who would like to file a complaint with the state’s Division of Funeral, Cemetery and Consumer Services can visit its website.