Colorado funeral home owners have pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges after being accused of misspending nearly $900,000 in pandemic relief funds. Jon and Carie Hallford, the owners of Return to Nature Funeral Home, admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The Hallfords allegedly used the funds meant for COVID-19 relief and payments from customers to finance a lavish lifestyle, including purchasing luxury vehicles, taking trips, and buying expensive items from stores like Gucci and Tiffany & Co.
Furthermore, the owners were found to have stored 190 decaying bodies in a building infested with bugs. Some families were given fake ashes instead of their loved ones' cremated remains, with investigations revealing that the dust in some bags was dry concrete.
The discovery of the bodies and the fraudulent activities led to multiple charges against the Hallfords, both at the federal and state levels. The plea agreement reached with prosecutors could result in a maximum of 15 years imprisonment for the couple.
Relatives of the deceased expressed their devastation upon learning that their loved ones' remains were not handled properly. The case has prompted Colorado lawmakers to tighten regulations on funeral homes, requiring routine inspections and licensing for funeral home roles.
During the court hearing, Crystina Page, a mother whose son's body was among those left in the funeral home, described the horrific conditions in which the bodies were found. She stated that while the plea deal may offer some semblance of justice, it only scratches the surface of the atrocities committed by the Hallfords.
