A Flatlands funeral home that was caught storing bodies in U-Haul trucks during the height of the pandemic has been forced to shut down by the New York State Health Department.
News 12 first reported on the funeral home in April when neighbors complained of horrific smells coming from the Andrew Thomas Cleckley Funeral Home.
It was later discovered the bodies of several New Yorkers were piled up outside the funeral home in U-Haul trucks awaiting burial.
After the discovery, neighbors tell News 12 they wanted the owner prosecuted. Now the New York State Health Department is revoking the license of the owner and is also fining him $68,000.
However, it is unclear if the funeral home is being shut down from this incident.A funeral director confirmed to news 12 a total of five funeral services operate in the building on Utica Avenue and at least one of them plans to conduct business as usual.
The owner of the funeral home told News 12 in August he shouldn’t be blamed for the situation, and said five other funeral directors working out of his storefront were responsible for using U-Haul trucks.
News 12 has reached out to Andrew Cleckley, the owner of the funeral home, about this latest development, but have not yet heard back.