A Houston man previously accused of exploiting grieving families through funeral-related fraud has been sentenced to two years in prison after authorities said he violated probation by continuing to work in the funeral industry.
Javian Major had pleaded guilty to forgery and received probation, according to FOX 26 Houston. The station reported that his probation was revoked after authorities determined he continued funeral work despite a court order barring him from doing so.
The case has followed Major for years. Families have accused him of taking life insurance money, charging for funeral services that were not performed, and leaving relatives with questions about payments, ashes, and remains during some of the most painful moments of their lives.
The two-year sentence is the latest turn in a case that Houston victims and local investigators have described as financially damaging, emotionally devastating, and difficult to close.
The Probation Violation Sent Him to Prison
FOX 26 reported that Major had been the subject of about half a dozen Breaking Bond investigations before the prison sentence. The station said customers previously accused him of stealing life insurance funds, charging for funerals and embalmings that did not happen, and mishandling human remains.
Major pleaded guilty to forgery last year and was placed on probation. That probation came with a key restriction: he was not supposed to continue working in the funeral industry.
Authorities later determined he violated that condition, and the court revoked his probation. FOX 26 reported that Major was sentenced to two years in prison.
A Daughter Says He Contacted Her After an Instagram Post
KPRC 2 reported that Shauntayvia Banks learned her father had died in a Beaumont prison on Thanksgiving Day 2025. After she posted about his death on Instagram, she said Major sent her a direct message presenting himself as a funeral home director.
Banks told the station that Major offered funeral home packages and made it seem as if he had been incarcerated with her father and knew him. She said her concerns grew when the family was repeatedly denied requests to view her father’s body.
She also told KPRC that jewelry went missing, payments and cremation arrangements were unclear, and she paid about $5,600. Banks said she is not even sure whether the ashes she received belong to her father.
Victims Said Two Years Was Not Enough
FOX 26 spoke with Pamela Busby, who said victims from 2021 to 2026 still did not receive justice. Busby told the station that many victims did not have the right ashes or did not get ashes at all.
Andy Kahan with Houston Crime Stoppers told FOX 26 that the probation department put together an extensive report on Major’s violations. Kahan said Major received the maximum sentence available in the revocation case, which he said was two years.
Kahan said he was relieved Major was finally in the prison system, while acknowledging that victims felt the punishment fell short.
The Earlier Case Involved Funeral Fraud Claims
KPRC reported that Major was originally arrested on a forgery charge in 2024 after authorities said grieving families had been schemed out of funeral services.
In earlier reporting, KPRC said investigators accused Major and Sandy Broussard of posing as funeral directors to steal thousands of dollars in life insurance money. Authorities said the case began after a tip from the Texas Funeral Commission.
Those earlier allegations included claims that families paid for services that were not performed or were left with serious questions after funerals and cremations. Major’s latest prison sentence does not resolve every allegation families have raised; it came after authorities said he continued funeral work while under a probation order that prohibited it.
Families Can Check a Funeral Provider Before Paying
Funeral decisions often happen quickly, emotionally, and under pressure. Texas consumers can use the Texas Funeral Service Commission to search for licensed funeral directors, embalmers, funeral establishments, and crematories.
KPRC reported that experts recommend checking whether a funeral home is licensed, searching for complaints, asking for a detailed General Price List upfront, and being cautious if a business refuses to provide licensing information, lacks a physical address, or requests large payments without documentation.
Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen’s office asked anyone who believes they may have been a victim of Major to contact the office at 713-755-5200. FOX 26 also reported that Major is on probation in Louisiana, where officials could take additional action.