Petitioner: DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES
Respondent: ALEXANDER WYNN
Judges: LISA SHEARER NELSON
Agency: Department of Financial Services
Locations: Daytona Beach, Florida
Filed: Dec. 17, 2008
Status: Closed
Settled and/or Dismissed prior to entry of RO/FO on Thursday, January 29, 2009.
Latest Update: Dec. 26, 2024
REPRESENTING
ALEX SINK
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
STATE OF FLORIDA
IN THE MATTER OF: Ox (9333 PL
ALEXANDER WYNN CASE NO.: 98264-08-FC
FO 43780
/
ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINT
TO: ALEXANDER WYNN
R.J. Gainous Funeral Home, Inc.
804 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114
ALEXANDER WYNN, is hereby notified that the Department of Financial Services Chief
Financial Officer of the State of Florida has directed an investigation in connection with license
number F043788 to operate as a Funeral Director. Based upon the investigation, it is alleged:
GENERAL ALLEGATIONS
1. -The Board of Funeral, Cemetery and Consumer Services (hereinafter “the Board”)
created within the Department of Financial Services, and the Department of Financial Services have
jurisdiction of your licensure as a Funeral Director/Embalmer and the subject matter of this proceeding,
pursuant to the provisions of Section 20.121 and Chapter 497, Florida Statutes, the Florida Funeral,
Cemetery and Consumer Services Act (hereinafter “The Act”).
2. The Board has the authority to determine through probable cause panels whether there is
probable cause to believe there is a violation of Chapter 497, Florida Statutes, and whether a proposed
administrative prosecution of a licensee shall go forward, as set forth in Section 497.103(1)(v) and
497.153(3), Florida Statutes.
3. A probable cause panel found probable cause to charge ALEXANDER WYNN, with
violations of Chapter 497, Florida Statutes and the Department’s administrative rules on October 27,
2008 and directed the Department to prosecute.
4. At all times relevant to the allegations of this Administrative Complaint, ALEXANDER
WYNN, was licensed by the State of Florida to conduct business as a funeral director and an
embalmer, pursuant to the provisions of the Act. Alexander Wynn’s license number is F043780.
5. Funeral directors and embalmers are governed by the Act and certain administrative
rules contained in the Chapter 69, Florida Administrative Code.
6. Pursuant to Rule 69K-21.007, Florida Administrative Code, each full time funeral
director in charge shall be responsible for only one funeral establishment and shall also be responsible
for making sure the funeral establishment and all persons employed in the establishment comply with
all applicable laws and rules of the Board.
7. Pursuant to Section 497.153(7), Florida Statutes, the acts and omissions of any person
employed by or under contract to the licensee shall be treated as the acts and omissions of the licensee.
8. At all times relevant to the allegations of this Administrative Complaint, ALEXANDER
WYNN, was the full time funeral director in charge of R.J. Gainous Funeral Home, Inc., a licensed
funeral home establishment located in Daytona Beach, Florida.
9. An investigation of ALEXANDER WYNN and R.J. Gainous Funeral Home, Inc. was
conducted on or about June, 2008 pursuant to a consumer complaint.
COUNT ONE
10. | The above General Allegations are hereby realleged and fully incorporated herein by
reference.
11. At all times pertinent to the dates and occurrences referred to herein, ALEXANDER
WYNN was the funeral director in charge.
12. The investigation found that ALEXANDER WYNN, as funeral director in charge at RJ.
Gainous Funeral Home, supervised an interment of the body of Mrs. Doris J. Oglesby, formerly of
Daytona Beach, Florida. R.J. Gainous Funeral Home contracted to perform the interment with LBJ
Cemetery Services. R.J. Gainous Funeral Home employed LBJ Cemetery Services to open and close
the gravesite and inter the casket into a burial vault.
13. The casket of Mrs. Oglesby was too large to properly fit into the burial vault. The
employees of LBJ Cemetery Services attempted to force the casket into the vault. In doing so, they
broke off the handles and otherwise damaged the casket. The burial vault was also significantly
damaged. The burial vault could not be and was not properly closed due to the oversized casket being
forced into it and the subsequent damage. The employees of LBJ Cemetery Services then failed to
cover the vault with at least 12 inches of soil. As a result, Mrs. Oglesby’s casket became visible and
exposed to the outside environment. ALEXANDER WYNN was aware or should have been aware of
these facts.
14. As a result of these actions, Mrs. Oglesby’s grave had to be reopened, the casket
removed from the vault, and her body placed into a new casket and re-interred.
15. ALEXANDER WYNN, as funeral director in charge, acknowledged that the casket had
not been properly placed into the vault and properly interred.
16. |. ALEXANDER WYNN, as funeral director in charge, failed to place an identification
tag on the casket at the time of the original internment.
17. ALEXANDER WYNN, as funeral director in charge, was negligent in not properly
overseeing the actions and job performance of LBJ Cemetery Services and not supervising the
internment of Mrs. Oglesby. ;
IT IS THEREFORE CHARGED that ALEXANDER WYNN has violated or is accountable
under the following provisions of the Act which constitute grounds for discipline:
(a) Committing fraud, deceit, negligence, incompetency or misconduct in the practice of
any of the activities regulated under this chapter [Section 497.152(1)(b), Florida Statutes];
(b) Failing without reasonable justification to timely honor contracts entered for funeral or
burial merchandise or services. [Section 497.152(13), Florida Statutes];
(c) Failing to place an identification tag on the outside of the burial vault or casket.
[Section 497.171, Florida Statutes];
(a) _ Violating any provision of the Act. [Section 497.152(1)(a), Florida Statutes];
(e) Failure to cover the interment with no less than 12 inches of soil. [Rule 69K-6.008,
Florida Administrative Code].
WHEREFORE, the Department respectfully requests that the Board enter an Order imposing
one of more of the following penalties: revocation or suspension of licensee’s license; imposition of an
administrative fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each count or separate offense;
issuance of a written reprimand; placement of licensee on probation; assessment of costs associated
with investigation and prosecution; requiring licensee to make restitution; imposition of any or all
penalties delineated within Section 497.153(5), Florida Statutes; and-any other relief that the Board is
authorized to impose pursuant to Chapter 497, Florida Statutes, and the rules promulgated thereunder.
NOTICE OF RIGHTS
You have the right to request a proceeding to contest this action by the Florida Department of
Financial Services, Board of Funeral, Cemetery and Consumer Services ("Board") pursuant to sections
120.569 and 120.57, Florida Statutes, and rule 28-106, Florida Administrative Code. The proceeding
request must be in writing, signed by you, and must be filed with the Florida Department of Financial
Services (“Department”) within twenty-one (21) days of your receipt of this notice. Completion of the
attached Election of Proceeding form and/or a petition for administrative hearing will suffice as a
written request. The request must be filed with the General Counsel acting as Agency Clerk, at the
Florida Department of Financial Services, 612 Larson Building, 200 East Gaines Street, Tallahassee,
Florida 32399-0333. Your written response must be received by the Department no later than 5:00
p.m. on the twenty-first day after your receipt of this notice. Mailing the response on the twenty-first
day will not preserve your right to a hearing.
YOUR FAILURE TO RESPOND IN WRITING WITHIN
TWENTY-ONE (21) DAYS OF YOUR RECEIPT OF THIS
NOTICE WILL CONSTITUTE A WAIVER OF YOUR RIGHT TO
REQUEST A PROCEEDING ON THE MATTERS ALLEGED
HEREIN AND AN ORDER OF SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION
WILL BE ENTERED AGAINST YOU.
If you request a proceeding, you must provide information that complies with the requirements
of rule 28-106.2015, Florida Administrative Code. As noted above, completion of the attached
Election of Proceeding form conforms to these requirements. Specifically, your response must contain:
(a) The name, address, and telephone number, and facsimile number (if any) of the
respondent (for the purpose of requesting a hearing in this matter, you are the "respondent").
(b) The name, address, telephone number, facsimile number of the attorney or qualified
representative of the respondent (if any) upon whom service of pleadings and other papers shall be
made.
(c) A statement requesting an administrative hearing identifying those material facts that are
in dispute. If there are none, the petition must so indicate.
(d) A statement of when the respondent received notice of the administrative complaint.
(e) A statement including the file number of the administrative complaint.
If a hearing of any type is requested, you have the right to be represented by counsel or other
qualified representative at your expense, to present evidence and argument, to call and cross-examine
witnesses, and to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents by subpoena.
If a proceeding is requested and there is no dispute of material fact, the provisions of section
120.57(2), Florida Statutes, apply. You may submit oral or written evidence in opposition to the action
taken by the Board or a written statement challenging the grounds upon which the Board has relied.
While a hearing is normally not required in the absence of a dispute of fact, if you feel that a hearing is
necessary, one will be conducted in Tallahassee, Florida, or by telephonic conference call upon your
Tequest.
However, if you dispute material facts which are the basis for the Board’s action, you must
request an adversarial proceeding pursuant to sections 120.569 and 120.57(1), Florida Statutes. These
proceedings are held before a State Administrative Law Judge of the Division of Administrative
Hearings. Unless the majority of witnesses are located elsewhere, the Department will request that the
hearing be conducted in Tallahassee, Florida.
Failure to follow the procedure outlined with regard to your response to this notice may result
in the request being denied. All prior oral communication or correspondence in this matter shall be
considered freeform agency action, and no such oral communication or correspondence shall operate as
a valid request for an administrative proceeding. Any request for an administrative proceeding
received prior to the date of this notice shall be deemed abandoned unless timely renewed in
compliance with the guidelines as set out above. . .
Mediation of this matter pursuant to section 120.573, Florida Statutes, is not available. No
Department attorney will discuss this matter with you until the response has been received by the
Department.
DATED and SIGNED this _ | yt day of Novem ber , 2008
TAMMY TES
Deputy Chief Financial Officer
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
1 HEREBY CERTIFY that a true and correct copy of the Administrative Complaint has been
furnished by Certified Mail to: ALEXANDER WYNN, R. J., Gainous Funeral Home, Inc., 804 Dr.
Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd., Daytona, Beach, FL 32114 this l 4 day of ovember- 2008.
laut [
mes A. Bossart, Assistant General Counsel
rida Department of Financial Services
Division of Legal Services
612 Larson Building
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0333
(850) 413-4124
Docket for Case No: 08-006333PL
Issue Date |
Proceedings |
Jan. 29, 2009 |
Order Closing Files. CASE CLOSED.
|
Jan. 27, 2009 |
Motion to Relinquish Jurisdiction (for case no. 08-6333PL) filed.
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Jan. 27, 2009 |
Motion to Relinquish Jurisdiction (for case no.08-6334) filed.
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Jan. 07, 2009 |
Notice of Hearing by Video Teleconference (hearing set for March 17, 2009; 9:30 a.m.; Daytona Beach and Tallahassee, FL).
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Jan. 05, 2009 |
Order of Consolidation (DOAH Case Nos. 08-6333PL and 08-6334).
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Dec. 24, 2008 |
Response to Initial Order filed.
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Dec. 17, 2008 |
Initial Order.
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Dec. 17, 2008 |
Request for Formal Hearing filed.
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Dec. 17, 2008 |
Administrative Complaint filed.
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Dec. 17, 2008 |
Election of Proceeding filed.
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Dec. 17, 2008 |
Agency referral filed.
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