DENVER (AP) — Carie Hallford, a former Colorado funeral home owner, is appealing for leniency in her sentencing set for Monday. She portrayed herself as a scared and desperate mother manipulated into keeping her family business afloat while pleading guilty to defrauding families of nearly $130,000 for funeral services and mishandling almost 200 decomposing bodies.
Hallford faces up to 20 years in prison after admitting her guilt in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud, whereby clients were often given urns filled with concrete mix instead of ashes, with some families even discovering that the wrong bodies were buried.
In addition to her admitted wrongdoings impacting grieving families, Hallford and her ex-husband Jon Hallford are accused of defrauding the federal government of approximately $900,000 in pandemic relief funds.
As she awaits sentencing, Hallford's representation argues for a maximum sentence of eight years, citing a lack of criminal history. Conversely, prosecutors are recommending 15 years, emphasizing the psychological damage inflicted on the loved ones of the deceased and the extensive nature of the fraud.
Some families have expressed their lack of sympathy for Hallford, arguing that she played a crucial role as the public representative of their funeral business. Emma Williams, whose father was entrusted to the Hallfords, claimed that Carie took advantage of families due to her greed. Similarly, Crystina Page emphasized that Hallford is just as guilty as her ex-husband for perpetuating this situation over time.
Despite the circumstances, Hallford maintains that her actions were driven by fear and domestic violence tactics employed by Jon Hallford, seeking a chance to work if granted a shorter sentence, which might allow her to repay the victims. Awaiting her state sentencing next month on related charges, Hallford could face additional prison time as her federal and state sentences are to run concurrently.
In a state case, Jon Hallford was sentenced to 20 years federally and is facing 40 years for state charges. He expressed remorse at his state sentencing, stating that his decisions will reverberate through generations.
