Pennsylvania funeral director disposed of 6,500 pets improperly, deceived customers with fake ashes, costing them $650K: Authorities

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a funeral home director is facing charges for allegedly desecrating the remains of numerous pets and defrauding their owners. Prosecutors claim that Jacob Vereb, the owner of Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial, deceived customers by discarding the bodies of thousands of animals while falsely providing them with ashes from different creatures. This scheme allowed Vereb to amass over $650,000 unlawfully from clients between 2021 and 2024, according to Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday.

According to a statement from the Pennsylvania’s Attorney General’s Office, Vereb stands accused of mishandling the remains of numerous dogs and cats that owners had paid for cremation or burial services. In some instances, Vereb purportedly substituted the ashes of their beloved pets with those of unknown animals. This unethical behavior highlights a breach of trust and a betrayal of grieving pet owners who believed they were honoring their companions’ memories through proper burial.

Officials stated that Vereb solicited payments from clients for individual cremation services but callously disposed of many animals’ bodies in a landfill. This reprehensible act not only defrauded customers of their hard-earned money but also showed a lack of respect for the deceased pets and their grieving owners. The alleged actions of Vereb have brought to light a disturbing case of financial exploitation and emotional manipulation within the funeral home industry, tarnishing the reputation of an establishment meant to provide solace and support during times of loss.

The funeral home, which also worked with human remains, was only alleged by authorities to have defrauded customers who brought in their pets but the investigation identified more than 6,500 victims from Allegheny, Armstrong, Washington and Westmoreland counties, officials continued.

“This case is disturbing, and will cause devastation and heartache for many Pennsylvanians,” Attorney General Sunday said. “Our pets are members of our families, and this defendant betrayed and agonized pet owners who entrusted him to provide dignified services for their beloved cats and dogs. I commend our investigative team for a comprehensive review of voluminous records which uncovered this long-running pattern of theft and deception.”

Due to the vast numbers of people affected, the Office of Attorney General has launched a website to engage with victims where victims can provide their contact information, share victim impact statements, and receive updates on the criminal case. The website will also help concerned citizens to determine if they are victims in this case, officials said.

“Nearly a dozen veterinary practices and businesses worked with the Office of Attorney General to confirm that Vereb collected at least $657,517 in fees from pet owners who were promised a private cremation for their pet, but did not receive the actual ashes of their pet,” the Attorney General’s Office said. “Eternity Pet Memorial received the pets directly from consumers or through area veterinarians.”

Vereb, 70, was charged on Monday with felony counts of theft by deception, receiving stolen property, and deceptive business practices after surrendering Monday afternoon and was arraigned on the charges. He was released on his own recognizance, officials said.

The investigation is currently ongoing.