Ronald Jerome Woolfolk, Jr., a 27-year-old resident of Lexington, Kentucky, was sentenced on Mar. 31 to 34 months in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove.
Woolfolk had worked as a licensed mortician apprentice at a funeral home in Fayette County, where he had access to sensitive personal information of clients and deceased individuals. According to his plea agreement, between August 15, 2022, and October 16, 2023, Woolfolk used this information to defraud a charity that assists families who have lost children.
He submitted about 23 fraudulent requests for financial assistance using the funeral home's email address. These requests included false details and fabricated documents such as fake invoices for funeral expenses, cremation certificates, and letters created with the funeral home's letterhead. Payments were directed to a fake company established by Woolfolk. Of the fraudulent claims made by Woolfolk, three involved real deceased babies or toddlers and two involved young adults; neither the funeral home nor the families were aware of his actions.
The total amount Woolfolk obtained from the charity was $11,929.49 through these schemes.
Under federal law, Woolfolk must serve at least 85 percent of his prison term before becoming eligible for release. After serving his sentence in prison, he will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, along with Robert Holman of the U.S. Secret Service jointly announced the sentencing decision. The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Mattingly Williams.
