HOUSTON — Javian Major received a two-year prison sentence following a court finding that he possessed an illegal drug and provided funeral services without court approval. His probation was revoked due to repeated violations.
Major was arrested in 2024 on a forgery charge for defrauding grieving families during funeral arrangements. Court records indicate he was prohibited from conducting funeral work after his 2024 arrest, but investigators stated he continued to contact families for funeral services despite the court prohibition.
One individual, Shauntayvia Banks, paid approximately $5,600 to Major for funeral services. Banks's father died in a Beaumont prison on Thanksgiving Day 2025. She posted about her father's death on Instagram, and Major responded by sending a direct message claiming to be a funeral home director.
Banks stated her family was repeatedly denied requests to view her father's body. She also reported missing jewelry and unclear payment and cremation arrangements during the process. Banks said, "He presented me funeral home packages that he could provide. He also made it seem as though he was incarcerated with my father — that he knew my father."
Banks expressed uncertainty regarding her father's remains. She said, "It's very hard to even know if it is, in fact, my dad's ashes — just based upon how everything went." She stated the two-year prison sentence is insufficient. "If anyone else has experienced something with him, that they do come forward and feel safe coming forward," she said. The Texas Funeral Service Commission website allows for verification of funeral home licensing.