THE WESTCHESTER BRIEF
Monday, April 6, 2026
A funeral home owner in Mount Vernon had his license revoked in 2019. He kept operating for six years. Dozens of grieving families paid for services from someone who was not legally allowed to provide them. The state did nothing.
SIX YEARS, NO OVERSIGHT
New York Attorney General Letitia James unsealed a 20-count indictment against Michael Naughton, the 55-year-old owner of Camelot Funeral Home in Mount Vernon. Inspectors found 13 bodies in various states of decomposition and 17 boxes of cremated remains at the facility. Naughton's funeral director license was revoked in 2019. He continued operating for years, allegedly collecting payments from families who had no way of knowing the person handling their loved ones was not licensed.
This is not a crime story. The criminal case will play out in court. This is a regulatory failure story. How did the New York State Department of Health allow an unlicensed operator to handle the dead for six years after license revocation? What inspection regime existed, and why did it fail? What recourse do the families who paid Camelot have?
Mount Vernon is one of Westchester's most underserved communities, and this happened at the moment of greatest vulnerability — when families were grieving and trusting the system to protect them. The system did not.
Why it matters: If you are selecting a funeral home in New York, you can verify licensing through the state Department of Health. That database is public. Use it.
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WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING
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Westchester Power, the community choice aggregation program that served 26 municipalities, shut down in November 2025. On April 1, the PSC denied Sustainable Westchester's request for a filing extension because the request was submitted after the deadline. A replacement program is "expected" in 2026, but there is no timeline, no contract, and no municipalities confirmed. Con Edison's rate hikes are locked in through 2028 with no competitive option in sight.
State Budget Misses Deadline — Again
New York State missed its April 1 budget deadline for the seventh consecutive year. Lawmakers passed a one-week spending extender. Key sticking points: auto insurance reform, changes to the 2019 climate law, and school aid formulas.
Mental Health Clinic Opens in White Plains
Westchester County opened a Mental Health Safety Net Clinic at 112 East Post Road, restoring the county's direct role in outpatient behavioral health for the first time in nearly 15 years.
ONE MORE THING
If you have used a funeral home in Westchester, did you verify their licensing before signing a contract? Most people do not. After this story, they should. Reply and tell us what you think the state should do differently.
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