Co-owner of Colorado funeral home sentenced after guilty plea on federal charges
Jon Hallford
El Paso County Sheriff's Office
Jon Hallford's wife, Carie Hallford, withdrew her guilty plea in federal court earlier this year and will instead go to trial. The trial date in federal court has been scheduled to begin on Sept. 8.
The Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose
CBS
The couple faced charges in an indictment from the federal government for allegedly misspending nearly $900,000 in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds. They each pleaded guilty to defrauding customers in October 2024.
As part of the plea agreement, Jon and Carie Hallford each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Carie Hallford
El Paso County Sheriff's Office
The Hallfords were charged with their alleged failure to bury or cremate the bodies of people, even though they received money for those services.
The federal indictment arrived after the investigation into the funeral home began in early October 2023, when neighbors reported a foul odor to the Fremont County Sheriff's Office. Investigators discovered at least 190 improperly stored bodies inside the building, which was demolished last year.
The couple was arrested in Oklahoma in November 2023.
Jon and Carie Hallford have pleaded guilty to hundreds of state charges in Colorado, including abuse of a corpse, forgery and money laundering. Jon Hallford is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 22.
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