RANDOLPH COUNTY, Ind. — A former funeral home director is facing more than 60 theft charges after allegedly stealing money from grieving families who prepaid for funeral services.
Randolph County Prosecutor David Daly announced that Zalo Wilson faces a 64-count indictment after authorities reviewed testimony and evidence from 64 victims describing missing funds from Wilson-Shook Funeral Homes. Investigators estimate Wilson stole over $500,000 during the scheme.
In November 2025, the Randolph County Sheriff’s Department received multiple complaints from residents whose prepaid funeral arrangements were not placed into the required Funeral Plan Trust accounts.
“Over the past two days, our office has received several complaints from individuals who paid substantial amounts of money to a Funeral Home for prepaid funeral plans, only to discover that no trust fund exists on their behalf,” the department said.
The prosecutor’s office alleges that Wilson provided families with fake paperwork and kept the money for himself instead of depositing it into the Funeral Plan Trust accounts, which are typically held through MasterChoice for future funeral services.
Wilson was located and taken into custody in Maine on Friday, Feb. 27, with the Randolph County Sheriff’s Department collaborating with local law enforcement there. Police departments from Union City, Farmland, and Lynn, Indiana, also assisted in the case.
Additional charges may be filed as the prosecutor’s office continues reviewing cases from other police departments. Wilson is currently awaiting extradition to Indiana to face the charges.
