TOLEDO, Ohio (WCMH) — An Ohio man has been sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison for providing funeral services without a license.

Shawnte Hardin was sentenced to 11 years and 10 months in prison for running an illicit funeral home business at locations across Ohio, according to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. Hardin was found guilty on Aug. 5 of 31 charges, including six counts of abuse of a corpse, eight counts of posing as a funeral director and two counts of theft.

Hardin operated several unlicensed businesses in Lucas, Cuyahoga, Summit and Franklin counties. They included Hussain Funeral Directors, Celebration of Life Memorial Chapels, Hardin Funeral Home, Inc., American Mortuary Services and Transportation and Shawnte Davon Hardin Services, LLC.

In September, 2021, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations removed two bodies from a building he was using for a makeshift funeral home at 1615 E. Livingston Ave.

This past January, authorities found more than 80 cremated human remains while searching a vacant church in Akron. Many of the remains have been identified and returned to family members.