A former Colorado funeral home owner, Carie Hallford, who helped her ex-husband conceal nearly 200 decomposing bodies, has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for fraud. The 48-year-old pleaded guilty in August to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, admitting she and Jon Hallford defrauded grieving families and the government of nearly $900,000 in pandemic aid.
Hallford had asked for leniency, claiming she was a 'scared and desperate mother' manipulated by her ex-husband. Her lawyer argued she suffered from domestic abuse, which clouded her judgment. However, victims rejected this defence, urging the judge to impose the maximum 20-year sentence.
Prosecutors detailed how the Hallfords took over $130,000 from families for cremations, often providing urns filled with concrete instead of ashes. In two cases, the wrong bodies were buried. The couple also misused pandemic loans on luxury items, including Gucci and Tiffany & Co goods, and laser body sculpting.
During the hearing, victim Kelly Schloesser told the court: 'She took my money and instead of taking care of my mother she took care of herself.' Another victim, Elizabeth Gannon, described 'ongoing trauma' from trusting the Hallfords with her parents' remains.
Jon Hallford received a 40-year state sentence and a 20-year federal term. The couple's state and federal sentences will run concurrently. The discovery of the bodies in 2023, stacked high and leaking fluids, was one of the largest such cases in US history.
