A longtime administrator of a city-run cemetery in Melrose, Massachusetts, is accused of selling burial plots he didn't own and now some are left wondering if they were scammed.
John Hughes, 70, of Revere, who ran Wyoming Cemetery since 2011, was in court Tuesday morning, to face several larceny charges.
According to prosecutors, Hughes allegedly told people looking to buy a plot at Wyoming that he knew someone who had purchased a grave previously and wanted to sell.
Joan Sullivan and her husband stopped by the cemetery Wednesday to double-check their plot purchases
As for Hughes, Sullivan said, “My husband had some dealings with him and always respected him and thought he was a good businessman.”
Court papers state Hughes then used a longtime friend, female acquaintance, and a family member as "straw sellers." Prosecutors allege Hughes made over $70,000 this way.
Hughes plead not guilty to the charges and will be back in court in January.
