Funeral home raided by police was awarded contract with county in 2019
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- 13 Investigates is learning more about the Third Ward funeral home that was raided by the Houston Police Department on Friday, including that it provided mortuary services for the county about five years ago.
About a dozen officers served a search warrant related to identity theft at A Community Funeral Home on Wheeler Avenue and Live Oak Street.
13 Investigates found in Harris County commissioners' documents that A Community Funeral Home had a contract with Harris County for the indigent burial program.
The funeral home's owner, Unique Green, spoke with commissioners in 2019 after the county initially decided not to award her the contract for mortuary services.
"It's saving the county almost $400,000 a year, $2 million over the contract," Green told commissioners. "We have an operational quota that holds, in an excess, more than the bid required. We've met all of the requirements, and before we started writing letters, Judge, no one had responded to us."
Other supporters of A Community Funeral Home spoke before commissioners at that 2019 meeting, saying they were the "lowest qualified responsible bidder" and would save the county $2 million over the course of the contract.
After about 20 minutes of conversation between the speakers and county leaders, commissioners voted to approve a contract split between A Community Funeral Home and another business that said it has provided mortuary services to the county for more than a decade.
RELATED: Police serve search warrant at unlicensed funeral home in Third Ward area, police say
13 Investigates requested copies of the funeral homes' contracts with the county last week, as well as putting in a request for information on how many bodies were released to A Community Funeral Home. This week, ABC13 asked how much they were paid, and we're still waiting on responses from the county.
On Friday, HPD said A Community Funeral Home is not licensed, and there are claims of identity fraud of the deceased, believed to have happened there. During the raid, police carried out computers and boxes of cremains, which are cremated remains.
Green was detained but later released without charges, police confirm.
But she was charged with forgery earlier this month and accused of forging the signature of the landlord where the funeral home is located.
13 Investigates attempted to reach Green by phone and in person on Monday. We also left a message for her attorney.
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