Funeral Director Dumped Pets’ Bodies, Gave Owners Different Ashes: Prosecutors

A Pittsburgh ceremonial location proprietor is facing charges connected to accusations he dumped thousands of pets’ bodies and gave pet owners different ashes. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced nan charges against Patrick Vereb, nan ceremonial location head astatine nan halfway of nan case, connected Monday, April 28.

An investigation by nan lawyer general’s agency recovered Vereb stole much than $650,000 from customers who paid for their animals’ burials and cremations betwixt 2021 and 2024, Sunday said.

Vereb, who owns Vereb Funeral Home and Pet Memorial, was charged pinch improper disposal of dogs and cats, “for which owners paid for cremations, burials, return of ashes and different services,” according to a property release.

More specifically, nan charges are felonies, including “theft by deception, receiving stolen spot and deceptive business practices.”

How galore group are affected?

State prosecutors said Vereb took money from pet owners who thought they were receiving backstage cremations aliases burials for their dogs aliases cats. Instead, prosecutors said, he dumped galore of nan animals’ bodies astatine a landfill and gave customers nan ashes of different animals that person not been identified.

The investigation into nan lawsuit “identified much than 6,500 victims from Allegheny, Armstrong, Washington and Westmoreland counties.”

“This lawsuit is disturbing, and will origin devastation and heartache for galore Pennsylvanians,” Sunday said. “Our pets are members of our families, and this suspect betrayed and agonized pet owners who entrusted him to supply honorable services for their beloved cats and dogs. I commend our investigative squad for a broad reappraisal of voluminous records which uncovered this long-running shape of theft and deception.”

What tin imaginable victims do?

The Attorney General’s agency created a webpage wherever imaginable victims tin supply interaction information, springiness effect statements and get updates connected nan ongoing lawsuit against Vereb.

According to Sunday’s office, astir a twelve veterinary practices and businesses worked pinch investigators to uncover prosecutors’ findings.

How person locals reacted?

Tiffany Mantzouridis, a erstwhile intern for Vereb, told KDKA-TV she saw questionable practices astatine nan business, including seeing pets’ bodies successful garbage bags sitting connected apical of freezers, arsenic good arsenic improper grounds keeping.

”He would return nan ashes backmost from nan crematory, and they travel backmost successful a large container pinch integrative bags pinch twist ties connected them that person nan metallic tag twisted onto them,” Mantzouridis said. “And then, for immoderate chartless reason, (he) would return that container into his apartment, adjacent nan door, messiness astir pinch nan ashes and they would each travel backmost and successful Ziploc baggies pinch nary tags.”

One pet proprietor who had her pet cremated astatine nan ceremonial location said she still has a Ziploc baggie without a due tag, which led her to mobility whether nan remains she has are really those of her cat. She said nan lawsuit is “disturbing.”

A rescue shelter that sent dogs’ bodies for services astatine nan business called nan charges and findings “not conscionable a correction but a betrayal” to those who intended to person their pets decently cremated aliases buried.

Sunday’s agency said Vereb was arraigned connected nan charges connected Monday, but has since been released. A preliminary proceeding connected nan lawsuit is scheduled for Thursday, May 9.