DENVER — The owner of a Colorado funeral home, who was caught storing nearly 190 deceased bodies in atrocious conditions and deceiving families with fake ashes, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Friday. This penalty is the maximum allowed for his offenses, which included defrauding the federal government of nearly $900,000 in COVID-19 aid.
Jon Hallford, the proprietor of Return to Nature Funeral Home, had entered a guilty plea for conspiracy to commit wire fraud in federal court last year. Additionally, he faced 191 charges of corpse abuse in state court, with a sentencing scheduled for August.
During the sentencing hearing, federal prosecutors recommended a 15-year term while Hallford’s defense requested a 10-year sentence. However, Judge Nina Wang decided that due to the extensive fraud and emotional harm caused to families, the longer incarceration was appropriate. She noted, “This is not an ordinary fraud case,” highlighting the extraordinary nature of his crimes.
Before his sentencing, Hallford expressed remorse, stating that his intention was to have a positive effect on people’s lives with the funeral home, but found himself overwhelmed and out of control. “I am so deeply sorry for my actions,” he said, confessing to his ongoing self-loathing for his deeds.
The accusations against Hallford and his wife, Carie Hallford, included storing the bodies from 2019 to 2023 and deceiving families with counterfeit ashes. When investigated in 2023, authorities found the bodies piled in a decrepit, insect-infested building in Penrose, located about a two-hour drive from Denver.
This discovery devastated many families, revealing the harsh truth that their loved ones hadn’t been cremated as they believed. Some mistakenly buried the wrong bodies, compounding their grief. Various families reported profound emotional distress, with nightmares, guilt, and questions about the fate of their loved ones’ souls.
One of the victims, a young boy named Colton Sperry, emotionally addressed the court about his grandmother, whom he described as being like a second mother. Her body lay neglected for four years within the funeral home, launching him into a deep depression. At one point, he expressed to his parents the wish to join his grandmother in heaven, resulting in hospitalization, therapy, and an emotional support animal to aid his recovery.
Federal investigations revealed that the Hallfords pocketed pandemic relief funds and misused them, spending on luxury vehicles, extravagant brands like Gucci and Tiffany & Co., and even cosmetic procedures. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Neff painted a grave picture of the conditions investigators faced inside the facility, describing overflowing rooms of decaying bodies and fluids that required makeshift wooden pathways for access.
Derrick Johnson, another individual affected by Hallford’s actions, recounted the disturbing conditions in which his mother’s body was found, describing it as a “festering sea of death.” His testimony emphasized the contrast between the neglect of the deceased and the Hallfords’ lavish lifestyle.
Despite Jon Hallford’s legal team arguing for a lighter sentence, the court was resolute in its 20-year decision. His wife, Carie Hallford, is set to face her own legal battles, with a federal trial pending in September and her state case scheduled for the same month.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the impact of fraudulent actions on grieving families and the justice system’s dedication to delivering consequences fitting the gravity of such crimes.