Fitzgerald Man and Funeral Home Operator Charged in Insurance Fraud and Decomposed Remains Investigation

James A. Sirmans, 52, of Fitzgerald, GA, has been arrested and charged with two counts of Insurance Fraud and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Insurance Fraud. The charges, secured by the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, stem from a 2023 investigation into an attempt by Sirmans to fraudulently obtain additional life insurance proceeds by altering a death certificate in 2022.

39-year-old Chris Johnson, operator of Johnson Funeral Home, is facing multiple charges, including Theft by Deception, Forgery, Submitting Fraudulent Vital Records, Conspiracy to Commit Insurance Fraud, and two counts of Insurance Fraud. Additionally, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has charged Johnson with Theft by Taking and six counts of Violation of Vital Records Registration following the discovery of 18 decomposed remains at his funeral home on October 26, 2024.

Sirmans was taken into custody by the Ben Hill County Sheriff’s Office and booked into the Coffee County Jail before being released on bond. Johnson remains in custody in the Coffee County Jail.

The GBI has identified an additional 4 of the 18 remains found at Johnson Funeral Home. The GBI has notified the families of the identified remains, as well as provided them with the necessary information for them to finalize arrangements for their loved ones. Out of respect for their privacy, the GBI will not be releasing their identities at this time.

The GBI continues its work to identify the other 2 remains that were found and expects this to occur soon. The GBI Crime Lab is continuing to evaluate the cremains that have been turned over to determine if they are human remains. The GBI also continues its work to verify the cremation information and whether cremains were sent to the correct families, as well as other investigative leads.

On November 15th, the GBI said they had identified 12 of the 18 remains found at the funeral home and were working to identify the remaining six.

This investigation began when Coffee County deputies, serving an eviction notice at Johnson Funeral Home, discovered the remains. The Criminal Investigations Division of the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance is assisting the GBI in investigating insurance-related irregularities linked to this case.