Funeral home owner throws pets in the trash and gives fake ashes to owners; scam made $650,000 (Photo: Fabian Gieske/Unsplash)
The director of a funeral home in Pennsylvania (USA) has been accused of throwing pets in the trash and giving owners fake ashes, a scam that made over $650,000.
Dave Sunday, Attorney General of Pennsylvania, revealed that Jacob Vereb, the owner of Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial in Pittsburgh, has been accused of improperly disposing of “thousands of dogs and cats.”
The owners paid for cremations, burials, ash returns, and other services, but Vereb stole more than $650,000 from customers between 2021 and 2024, according to a statement from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office.
“Vereb took money in exchange for private cremation services, then disposed of many of the pets at a landfill and gave customers ashes from other unknown animals,” the authorities said.
The authorities claimed that the funeral home, which also worked with human remains, had only defrauded customers who brought in their pets, but the investigation identified more than 6,500 victims from neighboring counties.
“This case is disturbing […]. Our pets are members of our families, and this defendant betrayed [… ] the pet owners who trusted him with the task of providing dignified services for their beloved dogs and cats,” said Attorney General Sunday.
After turning himself in on Monday (28), Vereb, 70, was indicted on charges of theft by fraud, receiving stolen property, and deceptive business practices. He was released on bail, according to authorities, but the investigation continues.
Photo and video: Unsplash. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
