DENVER, Colo (KOAA) — Carrie Hallford, Return to Nature Funeral co-owner, changed her plea in a Denver-based federal court on Monday.
Hallford has entered a plea agreement with the Federal Government that will dismiss a majority of her wire fraud charges.
According to court documents, the plea agreement finds her guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The agreement lays out agreements from both parties, including that the prosecution will not request a sentence of more than 15 years.
As the plea agreement stands, Hallford will not face more than 20 years in prison on federal charges, depending on the judge's sentencing, which has been set for December 3. Carie Hallford's state sentencing date is still up in the air pending the outcome of her federal case.
Jon Hallford, Carie's husband, was sentenced to the maximum of 20 years ' imprisonment following his guilty plea and sentencing on federal charges in July.
Watch Our Coverage On The Day of John's Sentencing
The couple has both pleaded guilty to state charges of abuse of a corpse and entered into plea agreements. Sentencing for John Hallford is scheduled for August 22, with Carie Hallford's pending.
The case against the two began in October of 2023 when a multi-agency investigation began in Penrose, Colorado, where nearly 200 decomposing bodies were discovered at the couple's funeral home location. Explore a timeline of the case below.
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Massive search effort underway in Colorado for 2 missing hunters
For several days, a search effort has been underway for two missing hunters in southern Colorado. According to the Conejos County Sheriff's office, they responded to the Rio De Los Pinos Trailhead to make contact with two people who were reported overdue while elk hunting on Sept. 13.
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