"Carie Hallford, 48, faced up to 20 years in prison for taking over $130,000 from families for funeral services, including cremations, and often giving them urns full of concrete mix instead. In two cases, investigators found the wrong body was buried."
"Those who entrusted their loved ones to the Hallfords struggled with guilt, shame, nightmares and panic attacks since the bodies were discovered in 2023. They were stacked so high in some places that they blocked doorways. There were bugs and maggots. Buckets had been placed to catch leaking fluids."
"She and her ex-husband Jon Hallford cheated customers and also defrauded the federal government out of nearly $900,000 in pandemic small business aid. Carie Hallford had asked the court for leniency, saying she was a scared and desperate mother who was manipulated to keep the family business operating."
Carie Hallford, 48, received an 18-year federal sentence for conspiracy to commit wire fraud involving her ex-husband's funeral home operation. She defrauded families of over $130,000 for funeral services and cremations, often substituting concrete mix in urns instead of cremains. In two cases, wrong bodies were buried. The couple also fraudulently obtained nearly $900,000 in pandemic relief funds. Nearly 200 decomposing bodies were discovered stacked in the facility with severe sanitation issues. Hallford pleaded guilty and claimed manipulation and abuse by her ex-husband influenced her participation. Federal guidelines recommended eight years, but prosecutors sought 15 years due to the exploitation of grieving families and the case's severity.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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