Colorado Funeral Home Owners Who Abandoned Bodies Spent Cremation & Burial Money On Over The Top Personal Luxury
In a shocking case that has gripped Colorado, a couple accused of abandoning nearly 200 bodies at their funeral home allegedly used payments meant for cremations and burials for their own personal indulgences.
Jon and Carie Hallford, the owners of the funeral home, are now facing a multitude of charges after FBI Agent Andrew Cohen broke-down their lavish spending during a recent court hearing.
According to Agent Cohen's testimony, the Hallfords used funds from grieving families to purchase luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and even treated themselves to a $1,500 dinner in Las Vegas.
The mugshots of Jon Hallford, left, and Carie Hallford, right, the owners of Return to Nature Funeral Home in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Muskogee County Sheriff's Office)
The couple reportedly bought a GMC Yukon and an Infiniti worth over $120,000, using money that could have covered the costs of cremating twice the number of bodies found decomposing in their storage facility in Penrose.
The defense attorney for Jon Hallford, Adam Steigerwald, argued that the prosecution failed to prove that the money was used to conceal the source of the funds, which is a crucial element in the crime of money laundering.
Steigerwald also claimed that the couple used money from a federal Small Business Administration loan to purchase the Yukon.
Agent Cohen, however, testified that the money used to buy the Yukon was obtained fraudulently after Jon lied about his child support payments to secure an adjustment to a pandemic-era small business loan.
The revelations about the Hallfords' spending habits emerged during a hearing where a judge determined that there was enough evidence to proceed with a trial against Jon.
Carie Hallford had already been ordered to stand trial prior to this hearing.
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COLORADO THIEVES ASK FOR DISCOUNTED CHARGE BECAUSE THEY ONLY STOLE ITEMS ON SALE
COLORADO HOMEOWNER DISCOVERS HUMAN HEAD IN ABANDONED FREEZER OF THEIR NEW HOME
The Hallfords were arrested in Oklahoma in November and each face a litany of charges, including abuse of a corpse, theft, money laundering, and forgery. As of now, neither of them has entered a plea in response to the charges.
This case has sent shockwaves throughout Colorado and beyond, as it raises serious questions about the integrity and ethics of those entrusted with the solemn duty of caring for the deceased. The Hallfords' alleged actions not only betrayed the trust of grieving families, but also tarnished the reputation of the funeral home industry as a whole.
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