The owners of a Colorado funeral home, Jon and Carie Hallford, were arrested again on Sunday on federal charges for fraudulently obtaining over $880,000 in pandemic relief funds, which they used for personal luxuries such as vacations and jewelry, according to the F.B.I. and court records.
The couple, who already faced state charges for corpse abuse after at least 190 bodies were found decaying at their funeral home last year, now face 15 federal fraud charges. The new charges were filed in U.S. District Court in Colorado and were unsealed on Monday.
During a court hearing on Monday, Assistant United States Attorney Tim Neff argued that the Hallfords were a flight risk, citing their previous attempt to flee to Oklahoma when the decaying bodies were discovered. Ms. Hallford is currently being held in the Jefferson County Jail, while Mr. Hallford’s whereabouts are unknown.
The couple could each face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted in the federal case. They are scheduled to appear in court for an arraignment hearing on Thursday.
According to the federal indictment, the Hallfords used the pandemic relief funds to finance a lavish lifestyle, including multiple vacations, cosmetic procedures, and expensive jewelry. They also allegedly defrauded families by providing urns filled with dry concrete mix instead of the remains of their loved ones.
In addition to the federal charges, the Hallfords face more than 250 charges in the state case, including counts of corpse abuse, money laundering, forgery, and theft. They could each face one year to 18 months in jail for each count of corpse abuse.
The couple is scheduled to appear in a Colorado court on June 9 for an arraignment hearing. The federal prosecutors have not yet commented on the case.
