Woodland Funeral Home Accused of Profiting Off Nearly 1,000 Grieving Families

A lawsuit filed by the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office accuses a historic Woodland funeral home of defrauding nearly 1,000 grieving families.

The case centers on Kraft Brothers and McNary’s mortuary, a business that has served Yolo County since 1862. Owners and funeral directors Paul and Lailene Wiggins are named in the complaint, which alleges they imposed fraudulent charges totaling more than half a million dollars between January 2020 and June 2024.

“The community’s loss was the defendants’ gain,” the lawsuit states, alleging that Kraft and McNary charged for goods and services already covered by prepaid burial plans, filed false information on death certificates, and imposed subtle overcharges that families often overlooked in times of grief.

One family shared their story with KCRA, describing how a prepaid plan from 2007 was disregarded. When Janice McDaniel tried to honor her sister’s burial wishes, she said Paul Wiggins demanded an additional $899, threatening to turn the body over to the county as unclaimed if she refused to pay. “I don’t know what I was expecting to do, so I paid the money,” McDaniel recalled.

Deputy District Attorney Clara Morain Nabity condemned the alleged conduct: “The idea that a business would take advantage of people at this incredibly sensitive time is just unacceptable.”

The lawsuit seeks fines of $2,500 per violation and has been forwarded to the Department of Consumer Affairs, Cemetery and Funeral Bureau, with a request to revoke the Wiggins’ funeral licenses.

Paul Wiggins told KCRA his lawyer would provide further comment.

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