Colorado funeral home owners Jon and Carie Hallford pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges for failing to cremate or bury nearly 200 bodies and misusing hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID relief funds. They admitted to defrauding the Small Business Administration of over $880,000 and now face up to twenty years in prison. The couple also faces state charges for abuse of corpses, theft, and more.
Authorities began investigating the Hallfords after complaints of a foul odor led to the discovery of improperly stored human remains in their funeral home. Further investigation revealed that about 190 bodies were stored in various states of decomposition dating back to 2019. The couple misled families into believing that their loved ones would be buried or cremated as promised.
The Hallfords advertised “green” natural burials but defrauded families by not providing promised cremations or burials. They collected money from families for services that were never performed and buried the wrong body on at least two occasions. After being arrested and charged in various lawsuits, a judge ordered them to pay $950 million to victims. The purpose of the payout was to ensure accountability for their actions.
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