Colorado ex-funeral home owner sentenced to 18 years in prison for fraud

Carie Hallford pleaded guilty to cheating customers and defrauding the government of pandemic aid

Mar. 16, 2026 at 10:33pm

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A former Colorado funeral home owner, Carie Hallford, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for defrauding customers and the federal government. Hallford and her ex-husband Jon Hallford took money from families for funeral services, including cremations, but often gave them urns filled with concrete mix instead. They also fraudulently obtained nearly $900,000 in pandemic small business aid, which they used for lavish personal spending.

Why it matters

This case highlights the devastating impact that unscrupulous funeral home operators can have on grieving families, as well as the importance of oversight and accountability in the funeral industry. The Hallfords' actions have caused immense trauma and grief for the affected families.

The details

Carie Hallford pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She and her ex-husband Jon Hallford took $130,000 from families for funeral services, including cremations, often giving them urns full of concrete mix instead. In two cases, investigators found the wrong body was buried. The couple also fraudulently obtained nearly $900,000 in pandemic small business aid, which they used for lavish personal spending on vehicles, cryptocurrency, and luxury goods.

  • In 2023, nearly 200 decomposing bodies were discovered in a building used as a mortuary by the Hallfords' funeral home in Penrose, Colorado.
  • Carie Hallford was sentenced on March 16, 2026.

The players

Carie Hallford

A former Colorado funeral home owner who pleaded guilty to defrauding customers and the federal government.

Jon Hallford

Carie Hallford's ex-husband, who also pleaded guilty to nearly 200 counts of corpse abuse in state court.

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What they’re saying

“I was always trying to please a person who was impossible to please.”

— Carie Hallford (PBS NewsHour)

“She chose to take our money and our loved ones' remains knowing exactly what Jon intended to do with the bodies.”

— Elizabeth Gannon (PBS NewsHour)

“We should never have to stand here now figuring out how to mourn her all over again.”

— Erin Smelser (PBS NewsHour)

What’s next

Carie Hallford is also facing 25 to 35 years in prison when she is sentenced in state court on related charges next month.

The takeaway

This case highlights the devastating impact that unscrupulous funeral home operators can have on grieving families, as well as the importance of robust regulation and oversight in the funeral industry to protect vulnerable consumers.