GREENSBORO, N.C. — In Greensboro, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office has opened a criminal investigation into Piedmont Cemetery and asked customers to preserve payment records after the North Carolina Cemetery Commission said the operator failed to answer a cease-and-desist letter.
Authorities said the Criminal Investigative Division took over the case after National Vault Services, Inc., which runs the Guilford County cemetery, did not respond to the state commission before the Oct. 1 deadline.
The commission alleged National Vault Services may be operating the cemetery illegally and referred the matter for possible legal action. The sheriff’s office confirmed it closed Piedmont Cemetery on Tuesday as part of the investigation into complaints about the cemetery’s condition.
Families are being asked to keep any evidence of payments or written agreements about purchasing plots dating back to Jan. 1, 2019. A sheriff’s office statement said investigators understand frustrations of people with kin or friends at the cemetery and asked for patience during the initial phase of the probe.
The same statement said the office wants to ensure the investigation is conducted in a lawful and objective manner. There is no word yet on when the cemetery might reopen.
Separate coverage described Piedmont Memorial Park Cemetery as under investigation after the state issued the cease-and-desist letter and owners did not respond by the deadline. Families had complained about high grass and difficulty locating graves before the sheriff’s office confirmed the criminal case.
Greensboro Police Chief Kamran Afzal and Sheriff Danny Rogers lead the city and county public-safety agencies that residents typically call when cemetery or property concerns escalate. City civic offices at 300 West Washington Street remain a point of contact for municipal questions while the sheriff’s criminal division handles the cemetery case.