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{{Infobox Person
{{Infobox Person
|name = Brent Cassity
|name = Brent Douglas Cassity
|birth_date = 1968
|image = brent-cassity.png
|birth_date = 1970
|birth_place = St. Louis, Missouri
|birth_place = St. Louis, Missouri
|charges = Wire fraud, Money laundering, Conspiracy
|charges = Mail fraud, Wire fraud, Money laundering, Permitting a felon to engage in insurance business
|conviction_date = July 3, 2013
|sentence = 5 years
|sentence = 5 years
|facility = FCI Morgantown
|facility = USP Leavenworth
|status = Released
|status = Released
}}
}}
'''Brent Douglas Cassity''' (born circa 1970) is an American former business executive and convicted fraudster. He served five years in federal prison for his role in the National Prearranged Services (NPS) scandal that defrauded over 97,000 victims of approximately $435 million.<ref name="doj-sentence">U.S. Department of Justice, "Six Defendants Sentenced To Total Of 36 Years In Prison In National Prearranged Services Case," November 14, 2013, https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmo/pr/six-defendants-sentenced-total-36-years-prison-national-prearranged-services-case.</ref> Cassity worked as an officer of NPS alongside his father James "Doug" Cassity, and in 2013 he pleaded guilty to mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and willfully permitting a felon to engage in the insurance business. Between 1992 and 2008, the scheme sold prearranged funeral contracts to customers across multiple states while systematically misappropriating funds that should have been held in trust or insurance policies.<ref name="fbi-guilty">FBI Archives, "Former Employee of National Prearranged Services Inc. and Lincoln Memorial Life Insurance Company Brent Cassity Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Money Laundering Charges," 2013, https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/stlouis/press-releases/2013/former-employee-of-national-prearranged-services-inc.-and-lincoln-memorial-life-insurance-company-brent-cassity-pleads-guilty-to-fraud-and-money-laundering-charges.</ref> After his release, he authored a memoir and launched the Nightmare Success podcast.


'''Brent Cassity''' (born 1968) is an American former funeral industry executive who was convicted in one of the largest fraud cases in the pre-need funeral industry's history. As an executive at National Prearranged Services (NPS) and its related companies, Cassity was involved in a scheme that defrauded tens of thousands of families who had prepaid for funeral services. He served five years in federal prison and has since become an advocate for criminal justice reform.
== Summary ==


== Early Life ==
One of the largest consumer protection failures in American funeral industry history, the National Prearranged Services fraud devastated thousands of families. For nearly two decades, the Cassity family and their associates sold prearranged funeral contracts to people seeking to plan and pay for funerals in advance. They represented that funds would be held in trust or insurance policies as required by state law. Instead, NPS operated like a Ponzi scheme, using incoming customer payments to fund unauthorized purposes, including personal enrichment of company officers, rather than safeguarding the money for its intended purpose.<ref name="doj-sentence" />


Brent Cassity was born in 1968 in the St. Louis, Missouri area. He was born into a family that had built a significant business empire in the funeral and pre-need funeral services industry.
Over 97,000 victims suffered losses. That included individual customers who'd paid in advance for their funerals, funeral homes that had contracted with NPS, insurance companies, and financial institutions. When NPS collapsed in 2008, thousands of families discovered something shocking: the funeral arrangements they'd paid for years earlier couldn't be honored. Many had to pay again for funerals they'd already purchased.<ref name="fox2-sentence">FOX 2 St. Louis, "Prearranged funeral scammers sentenced to a total of 36 years," November 2013, https://fox2now.com/news/fox-files/prearranged-funeral-scammers-sentenced-to-a-total-of-36-years/.</ref>


=== Family Business ===
Brent Cassity's role was secondary to his father Doug Cassity, who ran the operation. As an officer of NPS and its affiliated insurance companies, Brent participated in the fraud and benefited from the stolen funds. His five-year sentence reflected this, shorter than his father's nine-year-and-seven-month term.<ref name="stltoday-sentence">St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Funeral scam figures get prison sentences in St. Louis federal court," November 2013, https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-courts/funeral-scam-figures-get-prison-sentences-in-st-louis-federal/article_68f2e563-bd91-55a4-a2e7-d202ac157df8.html.</ref>


The Cassity family's business interests included:
== Background ==
* National Prearranged Services, Inc. (NPS) - a pre-need funeral insurance company
* Lincoln Memorial Life Insurance Company
* Memorial Service Life Insurance Company
* Forever Enterprises - a holding company
* Various related entities in the death care industry


Brent and his brother Tyler Cassity worked in the family business alongside their father, J. Douglas Cassity.
=== Family Business Origins ===


== Career at NPS ==
James "Doug" Cassity purchased National Prearranged Services Inc. in 1979, launching what would become a criminal enterprise. Clayton, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, served as the company's base. On the surface, NPS looked legitimate: it offered prearranged funeral contracts, agreements that let customers plan and pay for funeral services in advance, locking in prices and sparing their families the burden of making arrangements during grief.<ref name="stltoday-guilty">St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Father, son plead guilty in St. Louis prepaid funeral scam case," 2013, https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-courts/father-son-plead-guilty-in-st-louis-prepaid-funeral-scam-case/article_64cc95bc-a953-5881-a5b5-fe55c3741b65.html.</ref>


=== Pre-Need Funeral Industry ===
Growing up in this environment, Brent Cassity eventually became an officer of NPS and its affiliated companies, particularly Lincoln Memorial Life Insurance Company. The family's business model expanded significantly, with NPS selling prearranged funeral contracts in Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, and other states, while affiliated insurance companies issued life insurance policies tied to those contracts.<ref name="fbi-guilty" />


Pre-need funeral services allow individuals to plan and pay for their funerals in advance. Customers pay premiums, and the funds are supposed to be held in trust or insurance policies to cover funeral costs when the person dies.
=== The Business Model ===


=== Role at NPS ===
State laws governing prearranged funeral contracts imposed strict requirements. Companies like NPS had to hold customer funds in trust or purchase insurance policies to guarantee that money would be available to pay for funerals when customers died. Why? These consumer protection rules existed because of a simple fact: prearranged funeral customers were typically elderly individuals who might not live to see whether their contracts were honored. They were vulnerable, and the law protected them.


Brent Cassity served as an executive in the family's network of companies. His responsibilities included:
NPS told customers, funeral homes, and state regulators that it was complying with these requirements. In reality, the company was systematically violating them. Customer funds meant for secure holding were diverted for unauthorized purposes while the company maintained an appearance of legitimacy through fraudulent financial statements and regulatory filings.<ref name="fbi-guilty" />
* Business operations management
* Sales and marketing
* Company expansion initiatives
* Industry relationships


=== Growth of NPS ===
== Indictment, Prosecution, and Sentencing ==


Under the Cassity family's management, NPS grew to become:
=== The Fraud Scheme ===
* One of the largest pre-need funeral service companies in America
* Operating in multiple states
* Serving hundreds of thousands of customers
* Managing hundreds of millions in customer funds


== The Fraud ==
Beginning as early as 1992 and continuing until NPS collapsed in 2008, federal prosecutors proved the company operated as a fraudulent Ponzi-like scheme. Customer funds that should have been held securely in trust or insurance policies were instead used for unauthorized purposes:


=== The Scheme ===
* Personal enrichment of NPS officers and the Cassity family
* Funding operating expenses and commissions that should have been paid from legitimate business revenue
* Making payments to earlier customers whose policies came due, the classic hallmark of a Ponzi scheme
* Investments and expenditures unrelated to the company's funeral business obligations<ref name="doj-sentence" />


Federal investigators discovered that the Cassity family companies were engaged in a massive fraud:
This required constant deception of multiple parties. Individual customers were told their funds were secure. Funeral homes that partnered with NPS believed the company would honor its contracts. State insurance regulators received fraudulent financial statements. And insurance companies affiliated with NPS, including Lincoln Memorial Life Insurance Company, weren't providing genuine protection for customer funds; they were vehicles for the fraud itself.<ref name="fbi-guilty" />


==== Misappropriation of Funds ====
=== Collapse and Investigation ===
* Customer premiums meant for funeral trusts were diverted for other purposes
* Insurance reserves were depleted
* Funds were used for personal expenses and other business ventures


==== Underfunding ====
Everything unraveled in 2008. NPS could no longer sustain its Ponzi-like operations. Like all such schemes, it eventually ran out of new money to pay old obligations. State insurance regulators and federal authorities launched investigations.<ref name="stltoday-civil">St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Civil trial starts in suit over $500 million fraud by prepaid funeral company in Clayton," https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/civil-trial-starts-in-suit-over-500-million-fraud-by-prepaid-funeral-company-in-clayton/article_ab87bd8d-345c-5e40-aeb8-ad22aa8ec2e4.html.</ref>
* The insurance companies lacked sufficient reserves to pay claims
* When customers died, there often wasn't money to cover their pre-paid funerals
* The companies used new premiums to pay for current deaths (Ponzi-like structure)


==== Scale of the Fraud ====
What they discovered was staggering. More than 97,000 victims. Approximately $435 million in losses. A scheme that'd operated for nearly two decades while evading detection.<ref name="fox2-sentence" />
* Affected approximately 97,000 customers
* Involved hundreds of millions of dollars
* Spanned multiple states
* Operated over many years


=== Collapse ===
=== Guilty Pleas ===


The scheme unraveled when:
In 2013, Brent Cassity pleaded guilty to mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and willfully permitting a felon to engage in the insurance business. That last charge dealt with the involvement of individuals with prior felony convictions in NPS's insurance operations. His father, James "Doug" Cassity, then 67, pleaded guilty to similar charges.<ref name="stltoday-guilty" />
* State insurance regulators began investigating
* The companies couldn't meet their obligations
* NPS and related companies were placed in receivership
* The full scope of the fraud became apparent


== Criminal Prosecution ==
The guilty pleas were part of a broader prosecution. Six defendants ended up being sentenced to a combined total of 36 years in federal prison. Besides Brent and Doug Cassity, other defendants included NPS executives and associates who'd participated in various aspects of the scheme.<ref name="doj-sentence" />
 
=== Investigation ===
 
Federal investigators and state regulators uncovered the extent of the fraud through:
* Financial audits
* Document review
* Witness interviews
* Analysis of company records
 
=== Charges ===
 
Brent Cassity was charged with multiple federal offenses:
* '''Wire fraud'''
* '''Money laundering'''
* '''Conspiracy'''
 
His father, J. Douglas Cassity, and brother, Tyler Cassity, faced similar charges.
 
=== Guilty Plea ===
 
Brent Cassity pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges. In his plea, he acknowledged:
* Participating in the fraudulent scheme
* Knowing that customer funds were being misused
* His role in the family business operations


=== Sentencing ===
=== Sentencing ===


Brent Cassity was sentenced to:
On November 14, 2013, Brent Cassity was sentenced in federal court in St. Louis to 60 months (five years) in federal prison. He was also ordered to pay restitution as part of the overall $435 million restitution judgment against the NPS defendants.<ref name="doj-sentence" />
* '''5 years''' in federal prison
* '''Supervised release''' following incarceration
* '''Restitution''' to victims


=== Family Members ===
Doug Cassity received nine years and seven months, a significantly longer sentence that reflected his role as the mastermind.<ref name="stltoday-sentence" />


Other family members also faced consequences:
== Prison Experience ==
* '''J. Douglas Cassity''' (father) - Convicted, sentenced to prison
* '''Tyler Cassity''' (brother) - Pleaded guilty, sentenced to prison


== Incarceration ==
Brent Cassity served his sentence at United States Penitentiary Leavenworth, a medium-security federal prison in Kansas. One of the oldest federal prisons in the country, the facility houses approximately 1,500 male inmates. He completed his sentence and was released after serving the full term.


=== FCI Morgantown ===
== Post-Release Activities ==


Brent Cassity served his sentence at FCI Morgantown, a minimum-security federal correctional institution in Morgantown, West Virginia.
=== "Nightmare Success" Memoir ===


=== Life in Prison ===
Following his release, Brent Cassity authored a memoir called "Nightmare Success" where he presented his account of the NPS scandal and his experience in the federal prison system.


During his incarceration, Cassity:
=== Nightmare Success Podcast ===
* Reflected on his actions and their impact on victims
* Participated in prison programs
* Began thinking about how to use his experience to help others


=== Release ===
Cassity hosts the Nightmare Success podcast, one of the largest and longest-running prison-focused shows out there. The program features more than 200 guests who share their experiences of overcoming personal and professional setbacks, including former inmates, entrepreneurs, and others who've rebuilt their lives after adversity.<ref name="nightmare-podcast">Nightmare Success Podcast, https://nightmaresuccess.com/.</ref>


Cassity was released after serving his sentence.
== Impact on the Funeral Industry ==


== Post-Release Activities ==
The NPS scandal intensified scrutiny of the prearranged funeral industry and the regulatory frameworks designed to protect consumers. It exposed significant vulnerabilities in state-level oversight of funeral trusts and preneed insurance products. NPS had managed to evade detection for nearly two decades despite operating in multiple states with different regulatory regimes.<ref name="connecting-directors">Connecting Directors, "National Prearranged Services Crooks Finally Get Prison Sentence," 2013, https://connectingdirectors.com/42973-national-prearranged-services-crooks-finally-get-prison-sentence.</ref>


=== Advocacy Work ===
Consumer advocates used the NPS case to push for stronger protections for preneed funeral purchasers. More rigorous auditing requirements for funeral trusts. Better coordination among state regulators to detect multi-state schemes. The case also served as a cautionary tale for consumers considering prearranged funeral purchases, highlighting the importance of researching companies' financial stability and regulatory compliance before entrusting them with funds.<ref name="cnbc-greed">CNBC, "Greed Report: Preying on the Dead: Protect Yourself from These Most Evil Scams," July 25, 2016, https://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/25/the-greed-report-preying-on-the-dead-protect-yourself-from-these-most-evil-scams.html.</ref>


Following his release, Brent Cassity has become involved in:
== Terminology ==
* Criminal justice reform advocacy
* Speaking about white-collar crime and its consequences
* Sharing his story to educate others


=== Progressive Prison Ministries ===
* '''Prearranged Funeral Contract''': An agreement to plan and pay for funeral services in advance of death, typically offered by funeral homes or specialized companies.


Cassity has been associated with Progressive Prison Ministries and similar organizations that help:
* '''Preneed Insurance''': A life insurance policy purchased specifically to fund future funeral expenses, with the funeral provider named as beneficiary.
* People facing prosecution
* Individuals preparing for incarceration
* Those re-entering society after prison


=== Public Speaking ===
* '''Funeral Trust''': A trust account established to hold funds paid in advance for funeral services, with the money held securely until the funeral is performed.


Cassity has spoken about:
* '''Ponzi Scheme''': A fraudulent investment operation where returns to earlier investors are paid using capital from newer investors rather than from legitimate profits.
* The causes and consequences of white-collar crime
* Life in federal prison
* Lessons learned from his experience
* The importance of ethical business practices


== Impact on Victims ==
== See also ==


=== Families Affected ===
* Nightmare Success
* White Collar Crime
* Prison Consultants


The NPS fraud had devastating effects on families:
== Frequently Asked Questions ==
* Many had to pay for funerals they thought were already covered
{{FAQSection/Start}}
* Some couldn't afford proper services for deceased loved ones
{{FAQ|question=What was Brent Cassity convicted of?|answer=Brent Cassity was convicted of mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and permitting a felon to engage in insurance business for his role in the National Prearranged Services fraud that defrauded over 97,000 victims of $435 million.}}
* Trust in the pre-need funeral industry was damaged
{{FAQ|question=How long was Brent Cassity's sentence?|answer=Cassity was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison on November 14, 2013. His father Doug Cassity received nine years and seven months.}}
{{FAQ|question=What was the Cassity family fraud scheme?|answer=The Cassity family operated National Prearranged Services, which sold pre-need funeral contracts from 1992 to 2008 while misappropriating customer funds meant to be held in trust.}}
{{FAQ|question=Where did Brent Cassity serve his sentence?|answer=Cassity served his federal sentence at USP Leavenworth in Kansas. He has since been released.}}
{{FAQ|question=How much money was involved in the Cassity fraud?|answer=The National Prearranged Services fraud involved approximately $435 million in misappropriated funds and affected over 97,000 victims.}}
{{FAQSection/End}}


=== Recovery Efforts ===
== References ==


State guaranty associations and receivers have worked to:
<references />
* Recover assets from the Cassity companies
* Honor claims where possible
* Provide some compensation to affected families
* However, many victims received only partial recovery


=== Industry Reform ===
[[Category:High-Profile_Federal_Offenders]]


The case led to:
== Nightmare Success Guides ==
* Increased regulatory oversight of pre-need funeral services
* [https://nightmaresuccess.com/guides/how-federal-sentencing-works-step-by-step/ How Federal Sentencing Actually Works] — Practical breakdown from investigation through sentencing, grounded in real guest stories.
* Reforms in how customer funds are held and protected
* [https://nightmaresuccess.com/guides/what-first-week-in-federal-prison-feels-like/ What the First Week in Federal Prison Feels Like] — First-person accounts of intake and the habits that matter most in the first seven days.
* Greater scrutiny of funeral trust arrangements
* [https://nightmaresuccess.com/guides/how-to-rebuild-career-and-reputation-after-release/ How to Rebuild Career and Reputation After Release] — A staged reentry strategy for rebuilding trust, employment credibility, and digital reputation.
* [https://nightmaresuccess.com/guides/second-chance-playbook-30-practical-actions/ Second Chance Playbook: 30 Practical Actions] — Thirty tactical steps for stabilizing life, rebuilding trust, and creating momentum after crisis.
* [https://nightmaresuccess.com/guides/white-collar-cases-common-triggers-and-early-mistakes/ White-Collar Cases: Common Triggers and Early Mistakes] — Common escalation patterns and the early-stage discipline that limits damage.


== Legacy and Significance ==
[[Category:White_Collar_Crime]]


=== White-Collar Crime Example ===
<html>


The NPS case illustrates:
</html>
* How trust-based businesses can be exploited
* The impact of financial crimes on ordinary people
* The importance of regulatory oversight


=== Redemption Narrative ===
{{#seo:
 
|title=Brent Cassity - Funeral Fraud | Prisonpedia
Cassity's post-release work represents:
|title_mode=replace
* An attempt to make amends through service
|description=Explore Brent Cassity's National Prearranged Services fraud conviction and federal prison sentence. Learn about the funeral home Ponzi scheme case.
* Using experience to help others avoid similar mistakes
|keywords=Brent Cassity, funeral home fraud, Ponzi scheme, National Prearranged Services, federal prison
* Contributing to criminal justice reform discussions
|type=ProfilePage
 
|site_name=Prisonpedia
=== Ongoing Impact ===
|locale=en_US
 
}}
The case continues to influence:
* How funeral services are regulated
* Consumer protection in the death care industry
* Discussions about white-collar crime sentencing
 
== See Also ==
* [[FCI Morgantown (minimum-security camp)|FCI Morgantown]]
* [[Federal Sentencing Guidelines and Offense Enhancements]]
* [[Restitution, Fines, and Forfeiture]]
* [[Wire Fraud and Financial Crimes]]
 
== References ==
<references>
<ref name="STL">St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Cassity Family Fraud: The Rise and Fall of NPS."</ref>
<ref name="DOJ">U.S. Department of Justice. "Funeral Industry Executives Sentenced in Fraud Case."</ref>
<ref name="Reuters">Reuters. "Funeral Prepayment Fraud Leaves Thousands Without Coverage."</ref>
<ref name="Insurance">Insurance Journal. "NPS Fraud: Largest Pre-Need Funeral Scam Exposed."</ref>
<ref name="PPM">Progressive Prison Ministries. "Client Stories." https://progressiveprisonministries.org/</ref>
</references>


[[Category:High-Profile Federal Offenders]]
{{MetaDescription|Learn about Brent Cassity's federal case, conviction, and prison experience on Prisonpedia.}}

Latest revision as of 17:02, 23 April 2026

Brent Douglas Cassity
Born: 1970
St. Louis, Missouri
Charges: Mail fraud, Wire fraud, Money laundering, Permitting a felon to engage in insurance business
Sentence: 5 years
Facility: USP Leavenworth
Status: Released

Brent Douglas Cassity (born circa 1970) is an American former business executive and convicted fraudster. He served five years in federal prison for his role in the National Prearranged Services (NPS) scandal that defrauded over 97,000 victims of approximately $435 million.[1] Cassity worked as an officer of NPS alongside his father James "Doug" Cassity, and in 2013 he pleaded guilty to mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and willfully permitting a felon to engage in the insurance business. Between 1992 and 2008, the scheme sold prearranged funeral contracts to customers across multiple states while systematically misappropriating funds that should have been held in trust or insurance policies.[2] After his release, he authored a memoir and launched the Nightmare Success podcast.

Summary

One of the largest consumer protection failures in American funeral industry history, the National Prearranged Services fraud devastated thousands of families. For nearly two decades, the Cassity family and their associates sold prearranged funeral contracts to people seeking to plan and pay for funerals in advance. They represented that funds would be held in trust or insurance policies as required by state law. Instead, NPS operated like a Ponzi scheme, using incoming customer payments to fund unauthorized purposes, including personal enrichment of company officers, rather than safeguarding the money for its intended purpose.[1]

Over 97,000 victims suffered losses. That included individual customers who'd paid in advance for their funerals, funeral homes that had contracted with NPS, insurance companies, and financial institutions. When NPS collapsed in 2008, thousands of families discovered something shocking: the funeral arrangements they'd paid for years earlier couldn't be honored. Many had to pay again for funerals they'd already purchased.[3]

Brent Cassity's role was secondary to his father Doug Cassity, who ran the operation. As an officer of NPS and its affiliated insurance companies, Brent participated in the fraud and benefited from the stolen funds. His five-year sentence reflected this, shorter than his father's nine-year-and-seven-month term.[4]

Background

Family Business Origins

James "Doug" Cassity purchased National Prearranged Services Inc. in 1979, launching what would become a criminal enterprise. Clayton, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, served as the company's base. On the surface, NPS looked legitimate: it offered prearranged funeral contracts, agreements that let customers plan and pay for funeral services in advance, locking in prices and sparing their families the burden of making arrangements during grief.[5]

Growing up in this environment, Brent Cassity eventually became an officer of NPS and its affiliated companies, particularly Lincoln Memorial Life Insurance Company. The family's business model expanded significantly, with NPS selling prearranged funeral contracts in Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, and other states, while affiliated insurance companies issued life insurance policies tied to those contracts.[2]

The Business Model

State laws governing prearranged funeral contracts imposed strict requirements. Companies like NPS had to hold customer funds in trust or purchase insurance policies to guarantee that money would be available to pay for funerals when customers died. Why? These consumer protection rules existed because of a simple fact: prearranged funeral customers were typically elderly individuals who might not live to see whether their contracts were honored. They were vulnerable, and the law protected them.

NPS told customers, funeral homes, and state regulators that it was complying with these requirements. In reality, the company was systematically violating them. Customer funds meant for secure holding were diverted for unauthorized purposes while the company maintained an appearance of legitimacy through fraudulent financial statements and regulatory filings.[2]

Indictment, Prosecution, and Sentencing

The Fraud Scheme

Beginning as early as 1992 and continuing until NPS collapsed in 2008, federal prosecutors proved the company operated as a fraudulent Ponzi-like scheme. Customer funds that should have been held securely in trust or insurance policies were instead used for unauthorized purposes:

  • Personal enrichment of NPS officers and the Cassity family
  • Funding operating expenses and commissions that should have been paid from legitimate business revenue
  • Making payments to earlier customers whose policies came due, the classic hallmark of a Ponzi scheme
  • Investments and expenditures unrelated to the company's funeral business obligations[1]

This required constant deception of multiple parties. Individual customers were told their funds were secure. Funeral homes that partnered with NPS believed the company would honor its contracts. State insurance regulators received fraudulent financial statements. And insurance companies affiliated with NPS, including Lincoln Memorial Life Insurance Company, weren't providing genuine protection for customer funds; they were vehicles for the fraud itself.[2]

Collapse and Investigation

Everything unraveled in 2008. NPS could no longer sustain its Ponzi-like operations. Like all such schemes, it eventually ran out of new money to pay old obligations. State insurance regulators and federal authorities launched investigations.[6]

What they discovered was staggering. More than 97,000 victims. Approximately $435 million in losses. A scheme that'd operated for nearly two decades while evading detection.[3]

Guilty Pleas

In 2013, Brent Cassity pleaded guilty to mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and willfully permitting a felon to engage in the insurance business. That last charge dealt with the involvement of individuals with prior felony convictions in NPS's insurance operations. His father, James "Doug" Cassity, then 67, pleaded guilty to similar charges.[5]

The guilty pleas were part of a broader prosecution. Six defendants ended up being sentenced to a combined total of 36 years in federal prison. Besides Brent and Doug Cassity, other defendants included NPS executives and associates who'd participated in various aspects of the scheme.[1]

Sentencing

On November 14, 2013, Brent Cassity was sentenced in federal court in St. Louis to 60 months (five years) in federal prison. He was also ordered to pay restitution as part of the overall $435 million restitution judgment against the NPS defendants.[1]

Doug Cassity received nine years and seven months, a significantly longer sentence that reflected his role as the mastermind.[4]

Prison Experience

Brent Cassity served his sentence at United States Penitentiary Leavenworth, a medium-security federal prison in Kansas. One of the oldest federal prisons in the country, the facility houses approximately 1,500 male inmates. He completed his sentence and was released after serving the full term.

Post-Release Activities

"Nightmare Success" Memoir

Following his release, Brent Cassity authored a memoir called "Nightmare Success" where he presented his account of the NPS scandal and his experience in the federal prison system.

Nightmare Success Podcast

Cassity hosts the Nightmare Success podcast, one of the largest and longest-running prison-focused shows out there. The program features more than 200 guests who share their experiences of overcoming personal and professional setbacks, including former inmates, entrepreneurs, and others who've rebuilt their lives after adversity.[7]

Impact on the Funeral Industry

The NPS scandal intensified scrutiny of the prearranged funeral industry and the regulatory frameworks designed to protect consumers. It exposed significant vulnerabilities in state-level oversight of funeral trusts and preneed insurance products. NPS had managed to evade detection for nearly two decades despite operating in multiple states with different regulatory regimes.[8]

Consumer advocates used the NPS case to push for stronger protections for preneed funeral purchasers. More rigorous auditing requirements for funeral trusts. Better coordination among state regulators to detect multi-state schemes. The case also served as a cautionary tale for consumers considering prearranged funeral purchases, highlighting the importance of researching companies' financial stability and regulatory compliance before entrusting them with funds.[9]

Terminology

  • Prearranged Funeral Contract: An agreement to plan and pay for funeral services in advance of death, typically offered by funeral homes or specialized companies.
  • Preneed Insurance: A life insurance policy purchased specifically to fund future funeral expenses, with the funeral provider named as beneficiary.
  • Funeral Trust: A trust account established to hold funds paid in advance for funeral services, with the money held securely until the funeral is performed.
  • Ponzi Scheme: A fraudulent investment operation where returns to earlier investors are paid using capital from newer investors rather than from legitimate profits.

See also

  • Nightmare Success
  • White Collar Crime
  • Prison Consultants

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What was Brent Cassity convicted of?

Brent Cassity was convicted of mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and permitting a felon to engage in insurance business for his role in the National Prearranged Services fraud that defrauded over 97,000 victims of $435 million.


Q: How long was Brent Cassity's sentence?

Cassity was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison on November 14, 2013. His father Doug Cassity received nine years and seven months.


Q: What was the Cassity family fraud scheme?

The Cassity family operated National Prearranged Services, which sold pre-need funeral contracts from 1992 to 2008 while misappropriating customer funds meant to be held in trust.


Q: Where did Brent Cassity serve his sentence?

Cassity served his federal sentence at USP Leavenworth in Kansas. He has since been released.


Q: How much money was involved in the Cassity fraud?

The National Prearranged Services fraud involved approximately $435 million in misappropriated funds and affected over 97,000 victims.


References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 U.S. Department of Justice, "Six Defendants Sentenced To Total Of 36 Years In Prison In National Prearranged Services Case," November 14, 2013, https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmo/pr/six-defendants-sentenced-total-36-years-prison-national-prearranged-services-case.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 FBI Archives, "Former Employee of National Prearranged Services Inc. and Lincoln Memorial Life Insurance Company Brent Cassity Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Money Laundering Charges," 2013, https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/stlouis/press-releases/2013/former-employee-of-national-prearranged-services-inc.-and-lincoln-memorial-life-insurance-company-brent-cassity-pleads-guilty-to-fraud-and-money-laundering-charges.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 FOX 2 St. Louis, "Prearranged funeral scammers sentenced to a total of 36 years," November 2013, https://fox2now.com/news/fox-files/prearranged-funeral-scammers-sentenced-to-a-total-of-36-years/.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Funeral scam figures get prison sentences in St. Louis federal court," November 2013, https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-courts/funeral-scam-figures-get-prison-sentences-in-st-louis-federal/article_68f2e563-bd91-55a4-a2e7-d202ac157df8.html.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Father, son plead guilty in St. Louis prepaid funeral scam case," 2013, https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-courts/father-son-plead-guilty-in-st-louis-prepaid-funeral-scam-case/article_64cc95bc-a953-5881-a5b5-fe55c3741b65.html.
  6. ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Civil trial starts in suit over $500 million fraud by prepaid funeral company in Clayton," https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/civil-trial-starts-in-suit-over-500-million-fraud-by-prepaid-funeral-company-in-clayton/article_ab87bd8d-345c-5e40-aeb8-ad22aa8ec2e4.html.
  7. ↑ Nightmare Success Podcast, https://nightmaresuccess.com/.
  8. ↑ Connecting Directors, "National Prearranged Services Crooks Finally Get Prison Sentence," 2013, https://connectingdirectors.com/42973-national-prearranged-services-crooks-finally-get-prison-sentence.
  9. ↑ CNBC, "Greed Report: Preying on the Dead: Protect Yourself from These Most Evil Scams," July 25, 2016, https://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/25/the-greed-report-preying-on-the-dead-protect-yourself-from-these-most-evil-scams.html.

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