DENVER — The Return to Nature Funeral Home co-owners accepted a federal plea deal during a court hearing in Denver on Thursday afternoon.
Jon and Carie Hallford pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud as laid out in a plea deal offered by prosecutors. The couple initially pleaded not guilty to 13 federal wire fraud charges and two federal conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges after investigators said the couple received nearly $900,000 in COVID-19 federal relief funds in 2020 and 2021.
WATCH: What Did The Hallfords Use The Alleged Stolen Money On?
The couple faces up to 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
The couple is accused of improperly storing 190 bodies inside their Penrose funeral home, about 35 miles southwest of Colorado Springs. Investigators discovered the remains in October 2023 after a report of a foul odor coming from the building.
During Thursday's court hearing, the mother of one of the victims found inside the funeral home spoke in front of the court about her thoughts on the federal plea deal.
"It may be the best that can be achieved under the current circumstances, but I cannot help but feel it falls far short of real justice. These crimes deserve hundreds of years in prison, not just for fraud, but for the desecration of the bodies themselves. This plea does not do enough to honor the lives that were violated," said Crystina Page.
Before the couple accepted the federal plea deal on Thursday, other family members of the victims shared how the case has impacted them. In an interview with Scripps News Denver, Samantha Naranjo said even though the couple may spend time behind bars, the thoughts of what happened to her loved one will be at the forefront of her mind.
"Trying to go on with our lives but I have moments where I just stop and cry and I can't control it because it just hurts me. I feel the hurt and pain of the disrespect that they did to my grandmother's body," said Naranjo.
WATCH: Families React After Plea Deal Offered To Funeral Home Owners
The Hallfords will appear in an El Paso County courtroom on Nov. 8 for a plea hearing in their state-level case. The two each face more than 280 state charges including abuse of a corpse, money laundering, theft, and forgery. A plea deal is still on the table outlining a 15-year sentence for Jon Hallford and a 15 to 20-year sentence for Carie Hallford if they plead guilty to 190 counts of abuse of a corpse.
Jon Hallford is being held without bond pending sentencing in the federal case, despite posting $100,000 bond in his state-level case. Carie Hallford remains out of custody on a $100,000 bond.
KOAA News5 has a full timeline of the developing events of the Return to Nature Funeral Home.
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