A funeral home owner in Pittsburgh got arrested for reportedly swindling over $650,000 from clients who paid for pet burial and cremation services. Instead of properly handling the pets, he disposed of them in a landfill and gave customers the ashes of unknown animals.
Patrick Roy Vereb, who owns Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial, faces serious charges including theft by deception, receiving stolen goods, and fraudulent business practices as stated in a press release from Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday.
Vereb, 70, surrendered Monday afternoon and was arraigned on the charges. He was released on his own recognizance.
Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial in Pittsburgh (Google Maps)
Paul G. Fink Funeral Home Inc. and East Suburban Animal Hospital assured customers they were not affected.
“After the recent news broke, we have been inundated with inquiries about whether we utilized Eternity Pet Memorial for our cremation services,” stated the animal hospital. “We want to clarify that we did not engage their services. It is disheartening to hear about individuals exploiting pet owners in such a manner. Our thoughts are with all those impacted by this reprehensible behavior.”
The animal hospital noted it had a few clients who privately used Vereb’s services.
Considering that thousands of consumers have been harmed, the attorney general’s office launched a website to engage with victims and help concerned residents find out if they were affected.
Victims can provide their contact information, share victim impact statements and receive updates on the criminal case.
