DENVER — The owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home have re-entered pleas after a judge ordered a change to a plea agreement in their federal case.
In October 2024, Jon and Carie Hallford each agreed to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud in exchange for a sentence between 78 months and 15 years. However, on Feb. 24, Judge Nina Y. Wang ruled that the plea agreement "is not in the public interest" due to its sentencing limit. Lawyers for Jon Hallford filed an objection, which was rejected by the court.
The Hallfords were presented with an amended version of the plea agreement, which allows for a tougher sentence. Under the new agreement, the judge is not bound to sentence within the previous range, and the defendant cannot change their plea based on the length of the sentence. Additionally, the defendant cannot appeal solely on the length of the sentence.
Jon Hallford agreed to the new terms and pleaded guilty on Tuesday.
Carie Hallford did not agree to the terms, and her case will go to trial. A trial date has not yet been set.
- Visit a timeline of events regarding the Return to Nature Funeral Home investigation below
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