A Houston funeral home operator facing felony charges over an alleged scheme to steal a deceased client’s entire estate had quite the exit from court on Friday. Unique Green, accused of posing as the widow of a man she was hired to bury, walked out of the Harris County courthouse and told reporters she was a “celebrity” with nothing to say. That composure did not last long, and she was soon firing off insults instead of answers.
The case centers on Lawrence Gammon, a 78 year old Houston man who died last summer. His out of state family hired Green’s business, A Community Funeral Home, to handle his arrangements and shared his personal information to get things started. According to investigators, that trust was badly misplaced. Weeks after Gammon’s death, prosecutors say Green filed a forged will naming herself as his common law spouse and sole heir, a claim his family says has no basis at all since they say they had never heard of her.
From there, the allegations only get more elaborate, reported Click2Houston. Investigators say Green opened a bank account titled “Estate of Lawrence E Gammon” using a falsified death certificate, then used it to access his existing accounts. Prosecutors allege she made off with nearly $2.2 million, along with his home and three vehicles. She now faces five felony charges, including theft, forgery, and tampering with government records.
Green was arrested in late July and released after posting an $800,000 bond, though she offered no explanation to reporters when asked how she managed that. She is also accused of forging her own credentials, submitting fraudulent paperwork to the Texas Funeral Service Commission to obtain licenses as a funeral director and embalmer that she reportedly never legally held.
A Family Left With Questions
Gammon’s relatives say they simply wanted a dignified send off for their loved one and instead got a legal nightmare. They never received the funeral services they paid for, and it was only after growing suspicious that they alerted authorities. Houston police ended up raiding the funeral home in November as part of the investigation.
Green’s attorney, Gilbert Villarreal, has maintained his client’s innocence, telling reporters outside court that there’s an explanation for the evidence against her, though he has not detailed what that explanation might be.
Bond Conditions and What’s Next
As a condition of her release, Green is barred from having any involvement, direct or indirect, in planning end of life services for anyone. Investigators say they have not ruled out the possibility of additional victims and are asking anyone with related information to come forward.
A separate probate case is also underway to contest the forged will.
Our Take
Funeral homes exist in one of the few corners of life where people are at their most vulnerable and least equipped to double check the paperwork. That is exactly what makes a case like this so unsettling. We won’t pretend to know what happened between Green and the family, that’s for a jury to sort out, but strutting out of a courthouse calling yourself a celebrity is a bold move when the state is alleging you forged your way into somebody’s life savings.
If nothing else, this one is a reminder to keep copies of everything and ask a lot of questions before signing anything with a grieving family’s name on it.