Colorado Funeral Home Owner Accused of Stashing Nearly 190 Bodies to be Sentenced for Fraud
A Colorado funeral home owner, Jon Hallford, is set to be sentenced in federal court for defrauding customers and the government out of nearly $900,000 in COVID-19 aid. He 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, while Hallford's attorney asked for 10 years.
Hallford and co-owner Carie Hallford were accused of storing nearly 190 bodies between 2019 and 2023 in a decrepit building and sending families fake ashes. The bodies were discovered in 2023, stacked atop each other in a bug-infested building in Penrose, Colorado. The discovery revealed that many families' loved ones weren't cremated and the ashes they received 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 struggled with guilt, and at least one wondered about their loved one's soul. Among the victims who spoke during Friday's sentencing was a boy named Colton Sperry, whose grandmother died in 2019. Her body was among those discovered at Return to Nature. Sperry said the discovery plunged him into depression, leading to therapy and an emotional support dog. 'I miss my grandma so much,' he told the judge through tears.
Federal prosecutors accused both Hallfords of pandemic aid fraud, spending the aid and customer payments on luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, luxury items, and laser body sculpting. Derrick Johnson testified about his mother, whose body was among those discovered. 'I lie awake wondering was she naked? Was she stacked on top of others like lumber?' Johnson said. 'While the bodies rotted in secret, (the Hallfords) lived, they laughed, and they dined,' he added. 'My mom's cremation money likely helped pay for a cocktail, a day at the spa, a first-class flight.'
Hallford's attorney asked for a lower sentence, saying Hallford admits he was wrong and hasn't offered an excuse. His sentencing in the state case, where he pleaded guilty to 191 counts of corpse abuse, is scheduled in August. Carie Hallford's federal trial is set for September, the same month as her next hearing in the state case, where she's also charged with 191 counts of corpse abuse.
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