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FINDLAY, Ohio (AP) - State regulators in Ohio have shut down a funeral home where a director is accused of mishandling a corpse and other misdeeds.
The state board that licenses funeral homes outlined a long list of accusations against Gregory Routson of Routson Funeral Chapel in Findlay, about 45 miles south of Toledo.
There are over a dozen allegations against Routson, the panel said. The allegations listed:
* Routson left a body unrefrigerated for 13 days
* He was often naked, half-clothed or intoxicated or is addicted to the use of morphine, cocaine, or other habit-forming or illegal drugs
* Put a jacket of a deceased man on in front of the man's family
* Threatened and harassed employees
* Failed to sterilize all instruments for embalming
* Failed to destroy waste materials properly
* Misappropriated money from memorial contributions
* Applicant / licensee has committed immporal or unprofessional conduct
Routson said Tuesday that none of the administrative charges are true and that he's being set up by a competitor. Routson blames this entire situation on another Findlay funeral home, claiming they have tried to sabotage his business since opening in 1994.
"It was just a matter of time they would find an avenue," he said.
Routson, who opened Routson Funeral Chapel with his wife 16 years ago, said the business is his family's livelihood.
He's upset a Findlay-area newspaper broke the news to him on Monday, rather than the state board investigating the matter.
When contacted, the other Findlay funeral home denied any involvement and first found out about the allegations in the newspaper.
State investigators began looking into the funeral home after receiving a complaint from a family last week.
Routson can ask the state board for a hearing or file an appeal in court.
Since shutting down Monday, Routson has been answering the door and phone calls from worried customers who have pre-paid for funeral expenses.
"I'm completely sorry because they entrusted final wishes to me," Routson said. "I wish this never happened."
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