MN Crematorium Manager Sold Precious Metals From Cremated Bodies: Cops

MINNEAPOLIS — A retired crematorium manager is accused of having illegally sold precious metals he recovered after incinerating bodies while he worked at historic Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis.

Timothy Flanigan, 67, now of Texas, faces one count of theft by swindle. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

From 2016 to 2021, Flanigan received and deposited more than $306,000 into his bank account from the sales, according to investigators.

Flanigan is set to trial in February, the Star Tribune reported.

In April 2022, the Minneapolis Police Department received a report that a former employee, Flanigan, stole from Lakewood Cemetery.

According to authorities, Flanigan worked for the cemetery from 1984 to Sept. 30, 2021. During that time, he was tasked with the incineration of deceased bodies.

He also took the remains of nonorganic objects from cremated remains which contained rare and valuable metals, police said.

According to court documents, after the incineration process, Flanigan separated the metals — including steel, titanium, and dental scrap — into different buckets.

He would work then with recycling companies once a year to purchase the metals, investigators said.

Without authorization from Lakewood Cemetery, Flanigan represented himself to businesses as the owner of Lakewood Cemetery, according to the criminal complaint. He then sold the materials to multiple metal recyclers, police said.

The proceeds from the recycled materials were supposed to be sent to charity, but he instead deposited them into his bank account, according to the criminal complaint.

There is no evidence that any of the recycling proceeds were sent to charity, investigators said.

Flanigan's theft was discovered after a check issued to him was returned to Lakewood after he retired, authorities said.