Man convicted on charges related to unlicensed funeral homes

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — A man accused of running unlicensed funeral operations in four counties across Ohio has been convicted on dozens of felony charges. Shawnte Hardin maintained his innocence after a Lucas County Common Pleas Court judge found him guilty Friday on 31 counts, concluding a bench trial that began earlier this year, Hardin, who was acquitted on six counts, is due to be sentenced Aug. 26. But it wasn't clear Friday if he would be facing a lengthy prison term. Authorities have said Hardin ran funeral services in Summit, Cuyahoga, Franklin and Lucas counties without having a license. But Hardin has said he wasn't acting as a funeral director but instead offered low cost services for transporting and washing dead bodies.