The proprietors of a Colorado funeral home, who were found with nearly 200 decaying bodies at their facility, entered guilty pleas on Friday, as reported by various sources.

Jon Hallford and Carie Hallford, who operated Return to Nature Funeral Home, admitted guilt to 190 counts of corpse mistreatment, according to the Colorado Gazette, CBS News, and several other news outlets.

Investigations into the Hallfords began in October 2023, triggered by reports from local residents and businesses in the Penrose area regarding 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 were not stored properly within the premises.

Further investigations indicated that around 190 bodies, in varying states of decomposition, were kept inside the facility, as stated by authorities.

“Some of the remains found dated back to as early as 2019,” noted a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in October. “As part of their fraudulent operation, the Hallfords deceived customers into believing that their deceased loved ones would be buried or cremated according to their requests and the terms of their contracts.”

Accusations of Fraud Against Colorado Funeral Home Owners

This family-run funeral home claimed to offer “green” natural burials, avoiding the use of embalming chemicals and metal caskets. Prosecutors alleged that the Hallfords deceived families nationwide by failing to provide cremation or burial services as promised.

Prosecutors claimed that instead of giving families the ashes of their loved ones, the Hallfords delivered dry concrete. They collected over $130,000 from families for cremation and burial services that were never performed. Additionally, there were at least two instances where the wrong bodies were buried.

After the bodies were discovered, investigators revealed that Jon Hallford attempted to explain the odor as due to his hobby of taxidermy. However, the Environmental Protection Agency later declared the site a biohazard and began demolishment earlier this year.

The couple was apprehended in November 2023 after evading capture by fleeing to Oklahoma. Affidavits showed that both Hallfords faced 249 charges related to the investigation.

In April, the Hallfords were charged with fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief funds, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The couple allegedly received $882,300 by misrepresenting Jon Hallford’s child support obligations and falsely claiming their business was not involved in criminal activities when they applied for COVID-19 relief funds.

They were also accused of misusing the relief funds for personal expenses rather than for business purposes, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Potential Sentencing for Funeral Home Owners

Last month, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado revealed that the Hallfords pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

As part of their plea agreement, the Hallfords also acknowledged their involvement in conspiring to deceive the U.S. Small Business Administration out of more than $880,000 in pandemic relief funds.

They could face up to 20 years in federal prison for their fraud-related crimes, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Initially, they were indicted on 13 counts of wire fraud and two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, all of which will be dismissed as part of their plea agreements.

The sentencing for the Hallfords is scheduled for March 20, 2025, as indicated in court records.

YSL News contacted Colorado’s Office of the District Attorney for the Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen for a statement.