The proprietors of a funeral home in the United States have been accused of misusing close to $900,000 (£723,000) in pandemic relief funds on various personal expenses, including vacations, cosmetic procedures, jewelry, and digital currency.

Jon and Carie Hallford, who own the Return To Nature Funeral Home in Colorado, are currently facing over 200 criminal charges related to the disturbing find last year of 190 decomposing bodies in a storage facility infested with bugs.

Among the charges are allegations of mishandling corpses, money laundering, theft, and forgery. It is claimed that they substituted dry concrete for cremated ashes, accepted payments for funerals and cremations that were never carried out, and made errors in burying bodies on two occasions.

In addition to their existing charges, the couple now confront 15 new allegations of utilizing $882,300 (£708,000) of pandemic relief funds on various luxury items. These expenditures reportedly include the purchase of two high-end vehicles, trips to different states, investments in cryptocurrency, cosmetic procedures, and extravagant purchases from upscale retailers like Gucci and Tiffany & Co.

The Hallfords made an appearance in federal court on Monday, where the prosecution argued that they posed a flight risk, citing their previous attempts to evade authorities following the discovery of the decaying bodies. The judge deferred the decision on their release pending trial, setting another hearing for Thursday.

Image: Return To Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colorado. Pic: Jerilee Bennett/The Gazette/AP

The revelation of the 190 bodies, some of which had been in storage since 2019, sent shockwaves through Colorado, a state known for its lax funeral home regulations.

Despite concerns raised in 2020 regarding the improper storage practices at the funeral home, regulatory bodies failed to take action, allowing the number of bodies to accumulate to nearly 200.

It was only after complaints from neighbors about foul odors that authorities investigated the unassuming 2,500-square foot building in Penrose, located approximately 30 miles south of Colorado Springs.

Since the discovery of the bodies, numerous families have been informed that the ashes they received did not belong to their deceased loved ones.