Public forum set to discuss alleged fraud at midstate cemetery
Photo by Shane Dunlap, The Evening Sun
Joyce Gordon, of Hamiltonban Township, looks down at a grave site that remains in disarray at Oak Lawn Memorial Gardens.
(Hanover) — Members of the community are invited to attend a public forum centered around the Oak Lawn Memorial Gardens at the end of this month.
The forum, which will take place July 26 at the Gettysburg High School auditorium at 5 p.m., will address recent problems surrounding the cemetery, said Lt. Tim Guise, of Cumberland Township Police Department, Wednesday.
Cumberland Township police arrested former cemetery owner James H. Delaney last week for allegedly defrauding customers out of more than $1 million in prepaid burial items. Adams County District Attorney Brian Sinnett also released a list of 689 alleged victims in the case.
Law enforcement began looking into the operations of the cemetery after receiving a flood of hundreds of complaints in February. At the time, the property had fallen into a noticeably dilapidated state, leaving many families concerned.
Since then, individuals have been chipping in to care for the property, which includes mowing and caring for the upkeep of name markers.
Representatives from the Adams County District Attorney’s Office and Adams County’s Victim Witness office are anticipated to attend the forum.
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