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Jon and Carie Hallford plead guilty to corpse abuse charges: Reports

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Jon and Carie Hallford plead guilty to corpse abuse charges: Reports

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Colorado funeral home owners who had nearly 200 decomposed bodies on their premises pleaded guilty Friday, according to reports.

Jon Hallford and Carie HallfordOwner of Back to Nature Funeral Home pleaded guilty to 190 counts of corpse abuse. Colorado Gazette, CBS Newsand many other news sources reported.

Officials started Investigating the Hallfords in October 2023. The investigation began after residents and businesses in the Penrose area reported a foul odor near the funeral home. After obtaining a search warrant, the FBI, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, and local law enforcement discovered human remains improperly stored inside the building.

According to authorities, further investigation revealed that approximately 190 bodies in various states of decomposition were stored in the building.

“Dates of death for some of the remains discovered date back to 2019,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in an October news release. “As part of their fraudulent scheme, the Hallfords misled funeral home customers into believing that their loved ones’ remains would be buried or cremated in accordance with their wishes and the terms of the parties’ contract.”

News: 18 decomposed bodies found at Georgia funeral home; owner accused of abuse of corpse

Funeral home owners in Colorado accused of defrauding grieving families

The family-owned and operated funeral home advertises that they perform “green” natural burials without embalming chemicals or metal caskets. Prosecutors said the Hallfords defrauded families across the country by “failing to provide cremation or burial as promised.”

According to prosecutors, the Hallfords allegedly gave families dry concrete instead of ashes and collected more than $130,000 from families for funerals and cremations they never performed. It is also alleged that the Hallfords buried the wrong body on at least two occasions.

After authorities discovered the bodies, investigators said Jon Hallford mistakenly attributed the smell to his taxidermy hobby. The Environmental Protection Agency later concluded the building was rife with “biohazards” and began demolition earlier this year.

The couple was arrested in November 2023 after fleeing to Oklahoma to avoid investigation. Affidavits at the time revealed the Hallfords each faced 249 charges related to the investigation.

In April, the Hallfords were accused of fraudulently obtaining pandemic funds on behalf of their business, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors said the couple received $882,300 “by misrepresenting the fact that Jon Hallford owed child support and claiming that their business was not engaged in criminal activity when they applied for COVID-19 relief funds.”

The two are also accused of misappropriating aid funds for personal purposes rather than using them for their business operations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Up to 20 years in prison for funeral home owners

Last month, United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado He announced that the Hallfords had pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

As part of their plea agreement, the Hallfords also admitted to conspiring to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration of more than $880,000 in pandemic relief funds, prosecutors said.

The Colorado couple faces up to 20 years in federal prison on fraud charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. The pair were initially charged with 13 counts of wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud conspiracy, which will be dismissed under their plea agreement.

The Hallfords’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 20, 2025, according to court documents.

USA TODAY contacted Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen of the Colorado District Attorney’s Office for comment.

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on USA TODAY’s National Trends Team. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crimes, food recalls, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email him/her [email protected]. follow him Instagram, TopicsAnd X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.

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