Colorado funeral home owner accused of stashing nearly 190 bodies to be sentenced for fraud
DENVER — A Colorado funeral home owner accused of stashing nearly 190 dead bodies in a decrepit building and sending grieving families fake ashes is set to be sentenced Friday in federal court for cheating customers and defrauding the government out of nearly $900,000 in COVID-19 aid.
Jon Hallford, owner of Return to Nature Funeral Home, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud last year and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. Federal prosecutors are seeking a 15-year sentence.
He's pleaded guilty in a separate state case to 191 counts of corpse abuse.
Hallford and co-owner Carie Hallford were accused of storing the bodies between 2019 and 2023 and sending families fake ashes. Investigators described finding the bodies in 2023 stacked atop each other throughout a squat, bug-infested building in Penrose, a small town about a two-hour drive south of Denver.
The morbid discovery revealed to many families that their loved ones weren't cremated and that the ashes they had spread or cherished were fake. In two cases, the wrong body was buried, according to court documents. Many families said it undid their grieving processes. Some relatives had nightmares, others have struggled with guilt, and at least one wondered about their loved one's soul.
Federal prosecutors accused both Hallfords of pandemic aid fraud, siphoning the aid and spending it and customer's payments on a GMC Yukon and Infiniti worth over $120,000 combined, along with $31,000 in cryptocurrency, luxury items from stores like Gucci and Tiffany & Co., and even laser body sculpting.
Carie Hallford is scheduled to go to trial in the federal case in September, the same month as her next hearing in the state case in which she's also charged with 191 counts of corpse abuse.
In a court filing requesting a 10-year sentence, Jon Hallford's attorneys said that "Mr. Hallford does not disagree that his conduct was abhorrent, indecent, and caused grave harm to many."
His sentencing in the state case is scheduled in August.
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NBC News
8 hours ago
- NBC News
Colorado funeral home owner accused of stashing nearly 190 bodies to be sentenced for fraud
DENVER — A Colorado funeral home owner accused of stashing nearly 190 dead bodies in a decrepit building and sending grieving families fake ashes is set to be sentenced Friday in federal court for cheating customers and defrauding the government out of nearly $900,000 in COVID-19 aid. Jon Hallford, owner of Return to Nature Funeral Home, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud last year and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. Federal prosecutors are seeking a 15-year sentence. He's pleaded guilty in a separate state case to 191 counts of corpse abuse. Hallford and co-owner Carie Hallford were accused of storing the bodies between 2019 and 2023 and sending families fake ashes. Investigators described finding the bodies in 2023 stacked atop each other throughout a squat, bug-infested building in Penrose, a small town about a two-hour drive south of Denver. The morbid discovery revealed to many families that their loved ones weren't cremated and that the ashes they had spread or cherished were fake. In two cases, the wrong body was buried, according to court documents. Many families said it undid their grieving processes. Some relatives had nightmares, others have struggled with guilt, and at least one wondered about their loved one's soul. Federal prosecutors accused both Hallfords of pandemic aid fraud, siphoning the aid and spending it and customer's payments on a GMC Yukon and Infiniti worth over $120,000 combined, along with $31,000 in cryptocurrency, luxury items from stores like Gucci and Tiffany & Co., and even laser body sculpting. Carie Hallford is scheduled to go to trial in the federal case in September, the same month as her next hearing in the state case in which she's also charged with 191 counts of corpse abuse. In a court filing requesting a 10-year sentence, Jon Hallford's attorneys said that "Mr. Hallford does not disagree that his conduct was abhorrent, indecent, and caused grave harm to many." His sentencing in the state case is scheduled in August.
The Herald Scotland
11 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
What travelers should know about needle spiking in Europe
However, the scale of the incident and its potential to produce similar ones this summer is a "shock" and a cause for caution, according to Colin Mackie, founder of Spike Aware UK, a non-profit that raises awareness about spiking. This recent attack highlights the need for travelers to be aware of spiking risks while partying abroad. It's important to be prepared and know what to do if it happens to you. What is needle spiking? Needle spiking involves people being unwantingly jabbed, typically in the arm or leg, by an attacker via a hypodermic needle, Mackie said. Victims may see a bruise or small red mark at the injection site and, if injected with an unknown substance, report blurry vision, nausea, or feeling woozy, dizzy, and even loss of consciousness, according to Spike Aware UK's website. Needle spiking can happen anywhere to anyone: Cases have been reported mostly at public places such as festivals, bars and clubs, according to 2023 data from the U.K. government. While women made up 74% of reported incidents, a YouGov poll from December 2022 reported 10% of women and 5% of men had been spiked. While varied, the injected substances are typically cheap and easy for perpetrators to access, Mackie said. A report by the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee found the types of substances people are injected with vary and include prescription drugs, tranquillizers, amphetamines or GHB (also called liquid ecstasy). There's no consensus on a predominant substance type injected, according to a spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) in the U.K. "Spiking is a complex offense to investigate as drugs can pass through the system quickly and there is often a lack of evidential opportunities, which is why quick reporting and early evidence gathering, including forensic testing, is key," the NPCC spokesperson said to USA TODAY via email. Interestingly, the motive behind needle attacks is largely not sexual assault, robbery, or other obvious crimes, according to Mackie. They almost seem like "pranks," he said, making it even harder to find justice under the law. Even if you're feeling well, you should take any sensation of a needle prick seriously and seek medical attention, Mackie advised. This is important because serious diseases can be transmitted through intravenous exposure. Additionally, it would be wise to consider getting travel insurance beforehand, as this can help cover the costs of any medications that doctors may prescribe to prevent related illnesses. "It can be quite a long course of drugs to protect (victims) from HIV and hepatitis," Mackie said. "They don't know what was in the needle or where the needle's been." A longstanding issue with incremental progress Needle spiking isn't a new phenomenon overseas. Attacks surged in 2021 after the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to social media campaigns and boycotts across Europe and the U.K. as partygoers advocated for better reporting protocols and safety measures at venues. According to Mackie, activism has led to a relative slowdown in incidents in recent years, and the U.K. is at the forefront of policy reform in response. The advocate, whose son died in a spiking-related incident in 2017, is currently lobbying the U.K. parliament to strengthen a proposed law that would make spiking a stand-alone crime. This would give law enforcement "clear procedures" for these cases, Mackie said, and lead to more actual prosecutions. "Police are certainly more active and engaging with victims," Mackie said. Venues have stepped up measures, too, implementing surveillance cameras and extensive security checks at the door. What you can do to protect yourself (and still have fun) Travelers should heed extra caution if heading into large party crowds this summer. A few simple steps can look like: Make a plan. If in a foreign country, make sure your group's phones have cellular data set up abroad so you can always reach one another. Pick a meeting point for the night in case you get separated -- but prioritize the buddy system (even if you have to walk away from the music for a bit). Research and save the nearest hospital and local police contact information in your phone. If in a foreign country, make sure your group's phones have cellular data set up abroad so you can always reach one another. Pick a meeting point for the night in case you get separated -- but prioritize the buddy system (even if you have to walk away from the music for a bit). Research and save the nearest hospital and local police contact information in your phone. Report right away. If you feel a jab-like sensation, go to a trusted person and tell them (in case you pass out and they need to step in). Don't let strangers help you -- they may be the person who injected you. If you're able, alert venue staff and security personnel, Mackie said. The event may have medical staff on site you can go to, but if not, it's important to transit to a hospital as soon as possible. If you feel a jab-like sensation, go to a trusted person and tell them (in case you pass out and they need to step in). Don't let strangers help you -- they may be the person who injected you. If you're able, alert venue staff and security personnel, Mackie said. The event may have medical staff on site you can go to, but if not, it's important to transit to a hospital as soon as possible. Your drink is still the biggest risk. It's easy to feel carefree this time of year, but Mackie says drink spiking is still by far the biggest threat. Take the coaster or napkin a bartender gives you and put it over your drink when not sipping. If headed to the bathroom, don't leave your drink unattended. And make sure to watch your drink being made: If a stranger offers to buy you one, go with them to the bar and ensure a professional is mixing the beverage. This story was updated to fix a typo.
Daily Mirror
14 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
‘Twitter killer' who murdered and dismembered nine people is executed
Investigators said Takahiro Shiraishi killed the eight women, including teenagers, after raping them, and also killed a boyfriend of one of the women to silence him A man convicted of murder for killing and dismembering nine people in his apartment near Tokyo was executed Friday, Japan's Justice Ministry said. Takahiro Shiraishi, known as the ' Twitter killer,' was sentenced to death in 2020 for the killings in 2017 of the nine victims, most of whom had posted suicidal thoughts on social media. He was also convicted of sexually abusing female victims. The execution was carried out as calls grow to abolish capital punishment in Japan since the acquittal of the world 's longest-serving death-row inmate Iwao Hakamada last year. Shiraishi was hanged at the Tokyo Detention House in high secrecy with nothing disclosed until the execution was done. Police arrested him in 2017 after finding the bodies of eight females and one male in cold-storage cases in his apartment. Investigators said Shiraishi approached the victims via Twitter, offering to assist them with their suicidal wishes. He killed the eight women, including teenagers, after raping them, and also killed a boyfriend of one of the women to silence him. Japan's suicide rate ranks among the world's highest. Following a recent decline, the number has climbed back this year as people were hit by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Japan's crime rate is relatively low, but it has seen some high-profile mass killings in recent years. Shiraishi is said to have lured his mostly female victims, aged between 15 and 26, to his apartment near Tokyo, where he killed them and cut up their bodies. He admitted murdering all nine, having made contact with suicidal victims on Twitter and offering to help them die, before stashing bits of bodies in coolers around his small apartment, according to the BBC. Please check back regularly for updates on this developing story HERE. Get email updates on the day's biggest stories straight to your inbox by signing up for our newsletters. Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you by following The Mirror every time you see our name.
