WARREN, Ohio — The Greater Warren Youngstown Urban League has received a little more than $10,000 from a fund that was created to help pay for funeral expenses for six teenagers that died in a car accident.
Tom Conley, of the Urban League, held a press conference this morning and said the money is the remaining balance of what was collected to help the families with burial costs. Conley says the money will help fund an education initiative to ensure more students in Warren will exceed the high school graduation requirements.
The six teenagers died March 10. The next day, Council President Bob Dean held a press conference announcing the establishment of the fund. He says more than $60,000 was collected. Dean came under criticism from some of the victims’ families who alleged he wasn’t showing them records of the account. They also were critical of why Dean paid each funeral home $6,000 when some funerals cost half that amount.
Dean said some of the family members were upset because they wanted the money, and he was only collecting it to help pay for funeral services. He says a panel of six pastors approved all expenses.
Some family members filed a report with Warren police.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office Charitable Law Division was also contacted. Both agencies are still investigating.
