(Image via cnn.com)
Volunteer Writer: Emma Bowser
Email: ebowser@umassd.edu
Jon, 44, and Carie, 47, Hallford were indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly defrauding their funeral home clients and for defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which is part of The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Jon and Carie Hallford face 13 counts of wire fraud and two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The Hallfords were the co-owners of Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colorado. The United States Environmental Protection Agency recently demolished the funeral home due to health and environmental concerns. Following the demotion, strict health and safety measures were followed, and no risk was posed to the area’s citizens.
In October 2023, reports of a strong and unpleasant odor were investigated by the FBI, who discovered approximately 190 dead bodies within the facility. Some of these dead bodies dated back as far as 2019, and all of them were decomposing at varying rates. It was clear that this collection of dead bodies was the cause of the odor due to improper disposal methods.
Furthermore, according to the indictment, the Hallfords committed fraud by not cremating or burying the dead bodies even though they told their customers that they would do so. In addition, the Hallfords allegedly obtained COVID-19 Relief funds on behalf of their business by providing false information to the authorities involved in distributing COVID-19 Relief funds.
This false information claimed that Jon Hallford owed child support and that the small business was not engaging in any criminal or illegal activities. According to court documents, the Hallfords allegedly used the money obtained for personal purposes such as cryptocurrency, laser body sculpting, and shopping at luxury retailers like Gucci and Tiffany & Co. The amount of money allegedly obtained through fraud is $882,300.
In addition to those allegations, the Hallfords have also allegedly left behind a paper trail of unpaid bills and unhappy landlords. The couple even told one landlord that they would pay their bills once the money they were expecting from the government in compensation for work they did for the Federal Emergency Management Agency came.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has since stated that they did not have any contracts with the Hallfords, and this was confirmed during the search for evidence regarding the Hallford’s case.
“The defendants made their initial appearances on Monday, April 15, 2024, before Judge Scott T. Varholak. The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.”
Multiple authorities are involved in this case due to the complications that the details have caused. Some of those involved in the investigation include the FBI, the United States Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Colorado Springs Police Department, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, and two local coroners’ offices, according to the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Colorado.
Assistant United States Attorneys Tim Neff and Craig Fansler are the case’s prosecutors.
Anyone who wants to report a suspected case of COVID-19 fraud or who believes they have information on such a case is encouraged to contact the appropriate authorities. The Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud has a hotline at (866) 720-572 and a complaint form that citizens can fill out online.