‘Return to Nature’ Funeral Home Owner Sentenced to 20 Years for Federal Fraud Charges
Denver, Colo. (KRDO) - A federal judge has sentenced Jon Hallford, owner of the 'Return to Nature' funeral home in Penrose, to 20 years in prison with 3 years of probation for federal wire fraud charges. These charges are separate from the hundreds of charges faced by Jon and his wife, Carie, after nearly two hundred bodies were found improperly disposed of in their Penrose funeral home location.
Last year, the two pled guilty to charges relating to the wire fraud. The sentence is higher than what was outlined in the original plea deal agreed to by Hallford and his defense team, but there was a provision in the deal that allowed the judge to add more time to his sentence. Carie rejected the initial plea deal and is set to go to trial in September.
As for the state charges regarding the bodies found in the funeral home, Jon and Carrie both accepted plea deals, but neither could be sentenced until the federal case was complete. Jon will be sentenced for those charges in August.
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