Colorado Funeral Home Owner Sentenced to 20 Years for Hiding Bodies, Defrauding Families and Government

DENVER (AP) — A Colorado funeral home owner has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after authorities discovered nearly 190 decomposing bodies hidden inside a deteriorating facility. The shocking case revealed that the owner had been sending families fake ashes instead of their loved ones’ remains.

In addition to the emotional harm inflicted on grieving families, federal prosecutors said the individual also defrauded the U.S. government out of nearly $900,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. The sentence, handed down Friday, follows a months-long investigation that exposed both health violations and financial fraud.

Officials described the case as one of the most disturbing abuses of trust in the funeral industry in recent memory.