The proprietors of a Colorado funeral home, where nearly 200 decomposing bodies were found, entered guilty pleas on Friday, according to various news sources.

Jon Hallford and Carie Hallford, who ran Return to Nature Funeral Home, accepted guilt for 190 charges of corpse abuse, as reported by the Colorado Gazette, CBS News, and other outlets.

Authorities started looking into the Hallfords in October 2023, prompted by complaints from nearby residents and businesses about a strong, unpleasant smell coming from the funeral home. After securing a search warrant, the FBI, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, and local law enforcement found human remains that had been improperly stored within the establishment.

Further investigation revealed that approximately 190 bodies were being kept in various conditions of decay inside the facility, according to officials.

“Some of the remains dated back to 2019,” stated the U.S. Attorney’s Office in an October announcement. “The Hallfords deceived customers into thinking their loved ones’ remains would be buried or cremated as per their requests and contractual agreements.”

Hallford Couple Accused of Defrauding Grieving Families

The family-run funeral home claimed to offer eco-friendly burials that did not involve embalming fluids or metal caskets. Yet, prosecutors allege that the Hallfords scammed families nationwide by failing to conduct the cremations or burials they had promised.

Prosecutors have claimed that instead of delivering ashes, the Hallfords provided families with dry concrete, and they received over $130,000 from families for services that were never fulfilled. Additionally, it is alleged they mistakenly buried the wrong body on at least two occasions.

When authorities uncovered the remains, Jon Hallford reportedly attempted to attribute the odor to his hobby of taxidermy. The Environmental Protection Agency later deemed the site a significant biohazard and initiated demolishing the building early this year.

The Hallfords were arrested in November 2023 after attempting to evade arrest by fleeing to Oklahoma. Affidavits revealed that they faced a total of 249 charges related to the investigation.

In April, they were additionally accused of fraudulently acquiring pandemic relief funds designed for their business. The U.S. Attorney’s Office reported that the couple secured $882,300 by falsely claiming that Jon Hallford had no overdue child support and that their business was not involved in criminal activities while applying for COVID-19 assistance.

Furthermore, the Hallfords allegedly misused the relief funds for personal expenses rather than for their business, as claimed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Potential Sentencing of Up to 20 Years in Prison

Recently, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced that the Hallfords pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

As part of their plea deal, the Hallfords also acknowledged their conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration out of more than $880,000 in federal assistance.

The couple now faces the possibility of spending up to 20 years in federal prison for their fraud offenses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. They were initially indicted on 13 counts of wire fraud and two counts of conspiracy, which will be dismissed as part of their plea agreements.

Sentencing for the Hallfords is scheduled for early 2025, as indicated by court records.

YSL News has reached out to Michael Allen, the District Attorney for Colorado’s Fourth Judicial District, for comment.